Megedarra - Lentils and Rice

I admit, this IS A Rather out of the blue Recipe post, but its one of Those That I Have to write about and share. One Because its so Easy and so Delicious. And Two, and this IS selfish, but the website That Gave the recipe does not have a picture and I just can not pin a recipe without a picture! ... even though I realize I'm no food photographer, its better than nothing. :)

Also, this recipe is HEALTHY! The lentils are chock full of fiber, protein, potassium, iron, B-6, and magnesium..and a whole bunch more nutrients too!

Not to leave out the asparagus, of course!

Megedarra is very popular in Egypt, and considered a poor meal. It feeds a lot and is very hearty.

What you'll need:

5 Tbsp EVOO
2 lg onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 C brown or green lentils, rinsed
5 C water
1 C rice (I use Japanese rice, rinsed 3-5 times)
salt and ground pepper
(My additions: 1/2 tsp cumin and a bay leaf)

1 C plain or Greek yogurt
2 sm garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
1 drop Lemon essential oil
1/4 tsp ground cumin

1.  Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring from time to time, until the onions are golden brown, about 10 minutes longer.
2.  In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat until the lentils are partially cooked, about 15 minutes. Stir in half the onions, the rice and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat until the rice and lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Add more water if needed to prevent sticking.
3.  Meanwhile, cook the remaining onions over high heat until dark brown and caramelized, about 5 minutes. Stir the onions frequently so they do not stick to the bottom of the skillet and burn.
4.  In a small bowl, combine the yogurt with the garlic, lemon juice and cumin. Transfer the lentils and rice to a shallow bowl and drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over them. Sprinkle with the caramelized onions and serve. Pass the yogurt separately .

This CAN BE made ​​the Night before as well. You CAN find the Original Recipe here . For the Asparagus you'll need


Asparagus
EVOO
Salt and Pepper
Garlic powder
Parmesan 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut ends and clean asparagus, and place in a foil lined baking dish. Drizzle EVOO lightly over asparagus, followed by garlic powder, salt and pepper, and parmesan. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until asparagus browns.

Please make these and enjoy them as much as I do !! I know everyone will love it.

*all images original to Emily's oldie but goodie



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