Vegetable lentil rice is a hearty meal that satisfies every appetite. Packed with protein, carbohydrate and vegetables it is a complete meal that you can have as a main dish with a side of crunchy salad. In addition to lentils, you can add any beans to increase the protein intake. Also you can play around with vegetables or throw in whatever is on hand. I have used some common vegetables here, although zucchini, papaya, sweet potato, green beans, broccoli will make an excellent choice as well. When making this dish, just make sure you add the harder vegetables before you add the softer vegetables. This will help the texture and taste of the veggies intact.

Serves                                  2

Preparation Time               20 minutes

Active Cooking Time         30 minutes

Ready in                              50 minutes

Difficulty Level                    medium

Ingredients

• ½ cup brown rice, uncooked
• ½ cup lentils, uncooked
• ½ cup carrot, chopped
• ½  cup peas, fresh
• 1 cup cauliflower, cut into florets
• ½  cup beans, canned or cooked (recipe includes red kidney beans)
• 1 cup kale, torn to pieces
• 4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
• 2 teaspoon canola oil
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
• 1 teaspoon cumin/curry powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
• 5 cup water, hot

Method

• Place water in a sauce pan; heat.
• Meanwhile, sauté garlic in a saucepan over medium heat till they are soft. Add brown rice, lentils, carrots, peas, carrot beans, garlic cloves, cumin/curry powder, black pepper, salt. Stir fry 2-3 minutes. Pour in hot water and stir.
• Allow mixture to come to boil. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes until rice are just done.
• Sprinkle lemon juice, sugar, kale over rice, stir to combine. Cover and keep it on low heat for five minutes. Garnish with cilantro, serve hot.