Did you know that green, brown and French lentils require the same amount of cooking time as long grain brown rice?
Why does this matter? Because you can use this information to make a number of easy, protein-rich dishes for days with less kitchen time, or after a long day at work.
Easy meal idea
– ½ cup of organic lentils (green, brown, French)
– 1 cup organic long grain brown rice
– 3 cups water *
– Optional: seasonings such as vegetable bouillon or herb salt
* If you want to expand this recipe, simply add more rice/lentils and add twice as much water:
1.5 cups lentils/rice = 3 cups water
2 cups lentils/rice = 4 cups water
and so on.
1. Rinse lentils and rice. Strain. (We like to rinse grains, beans, lentils and legumes before cooking them, but you can choose to skip this step.)
2. Bring the water to a boil.
3. Add rice and lentils to the water, stir well and return to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for 40-45 minutes.
And you’re done! Kick your feet up while you wait or use the time to answer emails. It’s up to you.
You can season your lentils and rice simply with salt/tamari or drizzle any number of pre-made vegan sauces over them.
For a simple, tasty dressing, try olive oil, tamari and nutritional yeast.
Other seasoning ideas
– Teriyaki sauce
– Tamari with sesame seeds
– Miso dressing
– Cayenne and sea salt
If you want to add more variety to your meal, enjoy a simple salad on the side, or stir-fry up some veggies and put them over the lentils and rice. Or add some tahini and spices and/or some grated vegan cheese and sautéed veggies to your lentil/rice mixture and bake into veggie patties. The options are endless!
Variation
– Yellow, red, and orange lentils cook in approximately the same amount of time as quinoa (25-30 minutes!)
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