Lentils and Rice = Mujadarrah = Cheap, Middle Eastern Comfort Food

That's right. Tonight's supper has an exotic, foreign sounding name. And basically, it's just cheap, filling, nourishing-and-SOO-delicious lentils and rice.

Google "Mujadarrah" recipes and you'll find a million variations and almost as many spellings, make yours however you want. Tonight's version came about by accident and inspiration from friends. I had a pot of brown rice cooked up and waiting after work, thanks to my trusty rice maker, but was stumped for a topping. Keep in mind I had NOTHING in my fridge or freezer, after cleaning out the storm-damaged spoils yesterday. (Yes, once again, setting this months budget into a tailspin - sigh)

So I whined a bit about my dilemma and lack of ingredients and inspiration on FaceBook and immediately got some great feedback from far more creative friends and fellow cooks! Someone suggested lentils and (duh!) that was one ingredient I had and could cook quickly. So here's the basic recipe:

Mujadarrah: 

Middle Eastern Lentils and Rice

~~ Brown rice - as much as you want, cooked however works for you.
~~ Brown or green lentils - as much as you want, cooked soft but still holding their shape. (Season with cumin, salt and pepper)
~~ Two yellow or white onions, sliced in thin rings and slow cooked/caramelized in olive oil or Earth Balance until brown and soft. 

 Top a scoop of cooked rice with a scoop of cooked lentils. Add several spoonfuls of browned onions. Enjoy.

Yep. That's my fantastic and frugal meal for tonight. (And since several of you have asked, here is a post from several years ago where I go into more detail about my menus, my typical budget and some meal plans.).

Have a great week!
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