Lentils with Rice and Celery

 

Lentils with rice is a traditional high protein dish that has different names and slightly different flavours in cultures all over the world.  In Cyprus, it is Fakes Moutzentra or in the Middle East Mujadara.  I guess here in Ireland the closest thing would be the soup mix pack that has barley and lentils or maybe in England a traditional Pease Pudding but neither of them are as tasty as lentils with rice from other parts of the world.  I became familiar with it in Paphos, Cyprus, as I spent a lot of time there when I was younger and vegetarian.  It weas always a relief to find traditional food that was cruelty free.  Maybe that’s why this dish and others that remind me of those times, like the lentils with orzo we ate night are my comfort foods.  Here is my take on it.  Easy and tasty.

 

This was easy to make in the Instant Pot and it is high in protein and tasty.  I served it with a sliced tomato, sliced radishes, a yogurt dressing made from Lidl natural Soya Yogurt with diced cucumber, garlic, salt, and window-ledge cress.  I had two onions just for me, fried in my cast iron pan until they were brown and crispy that I put on top of the lentils and rice.

The reason I needed a comfort food today was it is the first time since last year that I have not had my 13-year-old daughter with me to share food at lunchtime.  All the children have been sent back to school today even though our vaccine programme is behind schedule and there’s only a few weeks left of term.  Shout out to all the other mummies or guardians out there who are home alone today for the first time in months. 

 

Here is today’s recipe that will make 4 lunch time portions.

Lentils with Rice

1 cup of brown rice

1 cup of brown lentils

2.5 cups cold water

½ head of celery

2 bay leaves

4 cloves garlic

Dessert spoon cumin

A pinch of salt

Olive oil - optional

2 onions (at least one per son – I used two just for me and I felt spoilt!)

Yogurt Dressing

¼ pot of natural yogurt

½ cucumber

Garlic

Salt

Side salad

Tomato

Radishes

Method:

1. Rinse the lentils and rice together in water and drain.

2. Add them both to the instant Pot with cumin, bay leaves, water, salt, and sliced celery.

3. Set the Instant Pot to 23 minutes at High Pressure.

4. When this has finished, I did a Quick Pressure Release and added a little olive oil.

5. I sliced then onions thinly and fried them in a large and hot cast iron pan.

 

To plate up – and it looks lovely plated – put your lentil and rice mixture in the middle of the plate and the yogurt dressing to one side.  The tomato and radish to the other side.  The fried onions go on top.

Lentil and Red Pepper Sauce

200g split red lentils

2 red peppers

1 onion

garlic

olive oil

5 plump tomatoes

salt

Rinse your lentils and strain

Add a little oil to the pot and set it to saute.

Chop the onions and garlic and add to the oil

Stir, add a little water if needed

Chop the red peppers and add to the pot, stir.  Add a splash of water if needed.

Blitz the tomatoes in a chopper.  Add to the pot and stir.

Add the lentils and enough water to nearly cover.  

Stir.

Set to High Pressure for 3 minutes.

Serve with wholemeal pasta and a green vegetable

If using a hob, this will take about 30 mins, bring to boil and simmer :) 

 Cauliflower and Almond Soup

by Louisa Moss

4 servings

Gluten free, Suitable for vegans, this soup looks elegant

Easy recipe

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped

a couple of cloves of garlic, chopped

a cauliflower broken into florets

100g split red lentils, rinsed

1 medium potato

water

almond milk - we used about half a litre

salt and pepper

chives

Method

Add chopped onions to the pot and saute in a little water

Add the garlic and stir for a minute

Add the cauliflower, potato and lentils

Add enough water to almost cover the vegetables, around 3/4 of the way - if you are using an Instant Pot.  If you are using a saucepan, add enough water to the reach the top of the vegetables.

Add salt.
Set the Instant Pot to HP for 8 minutes.  Then QPR.

Saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 25 minutes.

Blitz with a hand blender.

Add almond milk to reach the desired consistency.  Adjust seasoning to taste

Serve with fresh chives and enjoy! 

 Lentils with Orzo - Instant Pot detail at the end

Traditional Cypriot recipe given to my mum by a friend in Cyprus

Serves 4

250gr brown lentils, washed, soaked for 2 hours and drained

2 large onions, chopped

Olive oil - the recipe calls for 6 tablespoons

4 ripe plum tomatoes, peeled

1 litre of water

150gr orzo

salt and pepper

dried herbs of your choice

lemon juice to serve

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan.

Cook onions until golden

Add tomatoes and cook for five minutes

Add lentils and the water and bring to the oil

Cover and simmer for 50-60 minutes or until lentils are tender

Add the orzo and seasoning.  Simmer for 20 minutes, adding more hot water if necessary to prevent sticking.  

Pour freshly squeezed lemon juice on to serve

Nice with shredded steamed or boiled cabbage

Instant Pot changes!

I used a dessertspoon of olive oil with the onion and garlic, whizzed 250g of cherry tomatoes in the mini chopper and added them with some salt and a little extra cold water.  I sauteed for a few mins on high.  Added the brown lentils and 1.5 times volume water and cooked at high pressure 15 mins.  Then added a little bit more water with the orzo and sauteed for a few mins then left it on keep warm with the lid on for 20 mins.  Perfect!

 Celeriac Soup

Souper for a dreary day!

1 celeriac, chopped

1 head of celery, chopped

2 granny smith apples, peeled and chopped

1 tin of butter beans, drained and rinsed

fresh parsley

salt and pepper

hazelnuts, a handful chopped and roasted

Prep time 10 mins

Instant Pot cook time 10 mins, allow 10 mins to come up to pressure

Serves 6, 156 calories per serving

This is a fab soup, rich in Vitamin K and B6.  No oil added but some
fat derived from the yummy hazelnut topping.  This is a lovely, easy to digest, warm and comforting soup.  The butter beans give it a creaminess.

Add all of your veggies to the Instant Pot. Add enough water to come around 2/3 of the way to your veggies.  Add some Himalayan rock salt.

Set Instant Pot to 10 mins at high pressure.  Then do a QPR.

While the soup is cooking, toast your chopped hazelnuts in a dry frying pan. Set them aside to use as a crunchy topping on your soup. 

When your soup is cooked, whizz it with a hand blender in the Instant Pot. Add your chopped fresh parsley, adjust seasoning to taste.  Garnish with toasted hazelnuts

Enjoy!

Nutritional stuff

156 calories per serving

Each serving is rich in Vitamins B, K, A and C.  Good for folate, potassium, manganese and magnesium.