Mujaddara: Lentils and Rice

My heart is heavy. I had prepared something different for today, but tragic circumstances are keeping me from sharing it.  I will come back to that recipe at a later time, but when I read over what I had written it did not fit my frame of mind at all.

In this past month, I have lost two friends to untimely deaths.  Both people leave behind beautiful young families.  One death, quite sudden last week, has left our community in a state of shock.  This past week has been a blur as I am reminded of how quickly life can change.  Sometimes (hopefully most of the time) the change is sweet and wonderful and easy to celebrate.  When the change is a devastating one, we lean on each other and grieve together.

One of the many ways we support and nurture each other, especially in times of sorrow, is through the food we prepare.  Food comforts and sustains.  In Judaism, traditional foods to eat during mourning are eggs, bread and lentils.  They symbolize the cycle of life and life itself.

Mujaddara is a Middle Eastern dish made with humble ingredients, lentils and rice. The lentils and rice are cooked together with caramelized onions to create a bowl of soft, soothing goodness.  If desired, cumin, coriander, dill or mint can be added, as can a dollop of thick yogurt.  I chose to season the mujaddara simply this time, with just salt and pepper.

We say that we never know what life will bring, and it really is true.  I am grateful to be part of this kind, caring community, knowing that we will take care of and strengthen each other no matter what comes.

Mujaddara
Serves 6-8

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 onions, cut in half and sliced thinly
3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 cups lentils, green or brown
5 cups water
1 1/2 cups long grain brown rice
Freshly ground pepper
Plain yogurt to top (optional)

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the sliced onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir and cook the onions until they soften, then lower the heat and continue cooking until golden brown, about half an hour.

Rinse the lentils and place them in a large pot with the 5 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of salt.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until the lentils are soft but still have a bite.  Stir in the rice and half of the caramelized onions.  Cover and simmer until the rice is soft, about 20 minutes.

Season to taste with a few grinds of black pepper and additional salt.   Serve topped with the remaining half of caramelized onions and a dollop of yogurt, if desired.

Post-Holiday Red Lentil Soup

I’m having a slow start to this week. We’ve just returned home from Washington, DC where my brother, Tim, and sister-in-law, Kristen, hosted an incredible Thanksgiving dinner for us, my parents and my brother, Mike. We all enjoyed a long holiday weekend together with sightseeing, walks in the sunshine, football and good food. Watching my sons with their sweet younger cousins warmed my heart and I’m feeling particularly thankful to have had this time with my family since next summer Tim, Kristen and their children are moving to Hanoi (Tim is in the Foreign Service). Sigh. A bit more difficult to spend time together but we look forward to Thanksgiving in Vietnam sometime.

For now, though, it’s time to transition back to life here. So far today this means pulling sleepy boys out of bed for school, throwing a load of laundry in, picking up our dogs and running to the grocery store. Time to ponder what to make for dinner...

A simple soup is a welcome meal after a holiday weekend of indulgent eating. This red lentil one is quick and easy to pull together with pantry staples (and no pureeing involved). A bowl of warm nourishment. I love opening my tin of Indian spices to inhale the scent of cumin seed, ground coriander and turmeric - all of which flavor this soup. The tomato base creates a fresh, hearty taste, crushed red chile peppers give a spicy kick and a splash of lemon juice pulls it all together (you can also add a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt if you prefer some creaminess).

Stirring a pot of soup is a time for reflection and evokes warm feelings of the past few days for me. I am grateful for time spent with people I love and that we could gather around the table to celebrate a holiday together. I hope your Thanksgiving weekend was enjoyable and shared with loved ones, too.

Red Lentil Soup
Adapted from Pasta & Company in Seattle, WA
Serves 8

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 medium onions, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon crushed red chile peppers (or more to taste)
8 cups water
2 cups red lentils, rinsed and picked over
28 ounces canned (or homemade) tomato puree
6 ounces tomato paste
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Sour cream or Greek yogurt to dollop (optional)

In a large soup pot, warm the oil over low heat and add the cumin seeds, coriander and turmeric. Stir for a few minutes until fragrant and the seeds darken. Add the onions, garlic and red chile peppers. Increase the heat and sauté until the onions are soft.

Add the water, lentils, tomato puree and paste, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, stir again and simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes. The lentils should be very soft and the soup thickened. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste for seasoning. If the soup is very thick you can add a little more water or lemon juice. Serve warm with sour cream or yogurt.

(This soup can be made a few days ahead and it freezes well.)

Lentils and Apples with Acorn Squash: A Fall Staple at Hillel

During the years I was cooking at Hillel for the UW students, I created hundreds of dinners for Shabbat and the holidays. Whenever we served chicken or beef for dinner, we always offered a vegetarian entrée alongside. One of my most requested vegetarian dishes for the fall months was sweet and sour lentils served in a bowl of steamed squash.

Now, I am a bit biased since I adore lentils – red, brown, green ... all of them. But I must say, this is a lovely lentil recipe. The sweet and sour flavor comes from adding honey or maple syrup and red wine vinegar. I include apples for more fall essence, but pears or quince would be nice, too. It’s certainly not a pretty dish – very brown – so you do need a sprig of something green to jazz it up. What it lacks in looks, though, it makes up for in taste.

I usually serve these lentils in acorn squash halves, but I’ve also spooned them over spaghetti squash. It’s tasty warm or room temperature, making it ideal to feed a crowd at a potluck (or some hungry college students!). And did I mention it’s inexpensive, freezes well, is vegan and can be gluten-free if you use tamari in place of the soy sauce? Whew, that’s a lot of virtues for one dish! Let the humble lentil shine!

Lentils and Apples with Acorn Squash
Lentils adapted from New Kosher Cuisine for All Seasons
By Ivy Feurerstadt and Melinda Strauss
Serves 4 as a main dish, or 8 as a side dish (cut into quarters)

1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/8 cup soy sauce or tamari
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
A dash of garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups brown lentils, rinsed
1 apple, cored and diced
2 medium acorn squash, halved and seeds scraped out
Salt and pepper to taste
Parsley for serving

In a medium sized saucepan, stir together the first nine ingredients. Add the lentils and mix well. Bring to a boil, cover, turn the heat down and let simmer for about an hour, stirring a few times and tossing the diced apple into the saucepan after the first 20 minutes. Check to see if the lentils are soft and the liquid has thickened. If too liquidy, let simmer uncovered near the end. The lentils should have the consistency of a thick sauce.

While the lentils are cooking, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the 4 squash halves in a roasting dish (cut a small slice off the bottom of each if needed so they sit securely) and add about an inch of water to the pan. Cover with foil and place in the oven. Steam the squash until tender, about 30-45 minutes depending upon how large they are. Remove from oven and set aside until lentils are cooked.

Place the squash halves on a serving platter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the lentils into each half and top with a sprig of parsley.

If making ahead: Prepare the squash and lentils and keep separate. When close to serving, spoon the lentils into the squash and warm in the oven.