Legumes 102: Mujadara (cheapest. meal. ever.)

I'm back with a continuation of my legume lecture. And this one has pictures! I also learned how to chiffonade.  It's a cutting technique that fancy foodies use to uniformly cut any flat leaf such as mint, as shown below. Fortunately, my husband was around as I was preparing this dish and he told me exactly how to do it. He must pay better attention to the chefs on the Food Network than I do.

Mujadara is a complete protein meal. What do I mean by a complete protein meal? Well I'm glad you asked. Proteins are made up of amino acids and there are lots of different amino acid combinations. Animal protein, such as chicken, contains all essential amino acids therefore is considered complete. Legumes on the other hand have several essential amino acids but not all of them thus considered incomplete. Fortunately, grains have the missing link and can be combined with legumes to form a perfect protein source. You do not have to eat them at the same meal but you do need both food sources if you plan to ditch the animals.

If you are looking for ways to save at the grocery store, then look no further than including some vegetarian meals into your week. Since we've cut the amount of animal protein that we consume, we've saved at least $100/month. This is only possible if you have motivation to cook up some tasty veg meals. Lucky for you I plan to share all of the best ones!

Mujadara is a fancy name for an easy meal. It's basically lentils and brown rice with some onions and spices. Here is a version of the recipe that I found on www.wheatfreemeatfree.com.

Mujadara, serves 4

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 small onions, 1 diced, 1 sliced thinly
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 cup lentils
2 cups vegetable stock
3 Tbsp fresh mint leaves, cut into a chiffonade

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil on medium heat and add diced onions and garlic. Saute until onion is soft and then add spices and continue to saute for 30 seconds.

Add vegetable broth, lentils and rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover for 30 minutes or until the liquid had been incorporated. Meanwhile, add the remaining oil into another pan and saute the sliced onion on medium heat until dark brown (about 30 minutes). You may need to leave it alone to get it browned.

Serve lentil/rice mixture with carmelized onions and mint on top. Enjoy!