midwest neurotica

This post could also be titled - How I Finally Learned to Make Lentils Taste Good. The secret is drowning them in caramelized onions. Mjaddarah, a Middle Eastern combination of rice, lentils and those sweet and toasty onions is pretty simple, but requires substantial patience. I spent about 30 minutes on the onion process, though I admit to cheating with a little sugar. Meanwhile, my lentils and rice hung out in some olive oil, waiting to join the buttery, brown goodness. (I cooked the lentils in 8 cups water and drained the excess. The rice is instant brown - I nuked it.) At long last, and perhaps 2 minutes too soon, the onions were ready. Tossing the 3 ingredients together, I added salt and pepper while turning up the heat. Little spots of crispy brown are the key to this ethnic comfort food.

As a side note, my list grows shorter!