Rice pilaf (with lentils) Great for side dish or stuffing peppers
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On the way home from work today was an inflammatory report about how dangerous pitbulls are on the radio - I have known only one well and she was sweet as pie. However when I got to my friend's house to make the stuffed peppers, her son's dog was over, a puppy pit bull, just starved for attention. Gentle as all day long. I will say, though the first one, Duchess, was pretty rough when she got ahold of a frisbee or rope. It would be scary to think of your arm or leg in her grip!
Anyway, I think I mentioned this before, many of my best recipes came off bags and boxes and here is one of them. I'll give the original recipe and then the modifications for lower sodium, cholesterol etc. My favorite grocery store had beautiful red peppers FIVE for a dollar over the weekend!
Rice Pilaf from the Jack Rabbit brand lentil bag
2 green onions or 1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced (scrape or peel first)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
optional (any or all:) 2 Tbps. or more sesame seeds, 2 Tbsp. parsley flakes, 1/2 tsp dried minced garlic
2 Tbsp butter, margarine (or olive oil, or oil of choice, I used 2 T canola oil and 1 tsp margarine for flavor)
10 3/4 oz. Swanson Chicken broth (or use just a few granules bouillon and 2 Tbsp. low sodium broth mix Vegit is delicious and very low sodium)
2 cups water
1 cup dried lentils rinsed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup rice rinsed- I put garlic in almost everything, so if you like it, definitely add to this recipe.
In medium saucepan, saute vegetables and sesame seeds if using, in oil, or butter. Add broth and water and bring to a boil. Stir in lentils and black pepper. If using brown rice, add now also. Cover and simmer 25 minutes. Add white rice if using, now, add garlic & parsley flakes, cover and simmer 20-25 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
If using as a stuffing for peppers, reduce water to 1 1/2 cups, cook about 40 minutes total, and stuff into prepared red or green or yellow bell peppers. (to prepare, cut the top off pepper, 1/2 " down. Remove stem if desired. I like to leave mine on, friend who spent years in restaurant carefully cut out the stems. Fill peppers level full, put caps back on. Place in baking pan with 1 inch hot water. Does not need to be boiling, just warm out of the faucet is fine. (put pan in oven, then add hot water if easier for you). Bake 45 minutes at 350F. DO NOT overbake, peppers become slimey.
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I think I will try this with something other than peppers ~ perhaps yellow squash or Zucchini. I do love Lentils so….
