Mujaddarah -- Or Spiced Lentils and Rice

 I found this recipe via Epicurious. It just sounded easy and good. And it was both!

Mujaddarah (spiced lentils and rice):

INGREDIENTS:

¼ c olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 t cumin seeds
Sea salt
1 ⅓ c dried green lentils
2 bay leaves
¾ c basmati rice
Leaves from a small bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped

PREPARATION:

Heat the oil in a skillet set over medium heat. Add the onions, cumin, and a generous pinch of salt. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden brown. Remove from heat.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add lentils and bay leaves, reduce the heat to a medium simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Add rice and stir; cook for 15–20 minutes, until both the lentils and rice are tender. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.

Stir in half of the onion mixture and the cilantro. Return the pan with the remaining onion mixture to high heat and cook until dark golden brown and crispy. Spoon the crispy onion mixture over the lentils, and serve hot.

***I used quinoa instead of rice, because I didn't have any rice on hand. And I used cumin powder instead of cumin seeds, again because I didn't have the seeds on hand. Still good!