Are you tired? I am. I started my period of social distance assuming that all of this would blow over in a few weeks, and that we’d be able to re-enter society after a few weeks of rest and recuperation. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Yesterday, Trump announced that social distancing guidelines were extended through the end of April — and I have a feeling this isn’t the last extension.
I tend to bake in order to let off some steam, and I’ve been baking up a storm, which means I’m extra stressed: banana bread, blueberry muffins, and most recently, this simple crusty bread from the New York Times— aren’t those deep cuts gorgeous?
I ate a slice with cultured butter while the bread was still cooling (reckless, I know) and it was spectacular. Unfortunately, the bread has been eaten, which in normal cases would be fine, except I am running out of flour. There’s been a flour and yeast shortage worldwide, which means I’m now rationing the flour I have until new flour is put on grocery store shelves.
The good news is that this issue’s recipe does not require flour! In fact, it’s probably the easiest recipe I’ll send you. It’s my go-to Tired Food — when I come home late and don’t want to order takeout, this three-ingredient meal that can easily be jazzed up always wins. It’s the ultimate weeknight meal, something with minimal interventions and high reward: red lentils and wild rice, topped with some caramelized onions.
A quick list of reasons why I love this dish:
Comes together in under 45 mins, with very little work on your end
Relies solely on pantry essentials (wild rice, lentils, onions)
If you don’t have wild rice, feel free to sub in barley, brown rice, quinoa, or farro.
If you don’t have onions, also fine — either use shallots or just top with some extra sauce (see #4).Sounds fancy but isn’t
Lends itself well to sauces (tahini, anyone?)
Ingredients
1/2 cup red lentils, dry
1/2 cup wild rice, dry
1/2 onion, sliced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
Directions
Rinse your wild rice (or grain of choice - fun fact, wild rice is not a grain, it’s a seed) to remove any debris, then transfer to a medium-size pot. Pour in 2 cups of water, sprinkle about 1/2 tsp salt in, and cover tightly. Bring to a boil.
Once the wild rice has reached a boil, remove the lid and allow to gently simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes.
While the wild rice is simmering, rinse the lentils to remove any debris, then transfer to a medium-size pot. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of water, cover tightly, and bring to a boil. Note that you don’t want to salt the water when dealing with uncooked lentils — lentils are harder to work with if the water is salted beforehand.
Once the lentils have started to boil, uncover and allow to simmer just until tender — about 10 - 12 minutes.
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat, then add onion and gently spread throughout pan to ensure each slice is coated in oil. Lower the heat slightly and continue to stir occasionally. Feel free to sprinkle some salt on top. Once the onions have browned, remove from heat.
Time to taste the wild rice! You’ll know wild rice is done once it’s chewy and some of the seeds have burst open. If you’re satisfied with the state of your wild rice, remove from heat and plate.
The lentils should be done by now. Add salt to taste, then top the wild rice with lentils.
Now that you have a wild rice and lentil pile, finish the stack by topping with the caramelized onions. Feel free to drizzle sauce of your choice on top, or eat as it is.
That’s all it takes! Three pots and 45 minutes, and you’ve got yourself a meal — as a bonus, you can double or triple the recipe for leftovers, as all of these ingredients keep and reheat well.
Thanks for tuning in <3
Ashni