RECIPE: Caramelized Onions and Lentil Rice
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We love caramelized onions as a topping on so many foods: eggs, baked potatoes, burgers, sandwiches, grilled meats and fish, grains… Our biggest problem when we make caramelized onions is what we call the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Confrontation: We can’t stop eating the raw dough in the bowl—or the onions in the pan—such that we end up with a fraction of the finished recipe. We never overlook an opportunity to make caramelized onions. So when we received the following recipe from Chef Ingrid Hoffmann—which tops lentil rice with caramelized onions—we leapt from computer to kitchen. You can substitute beans for the lentils, for a caramlized onion spin on rice and beans. RECIPE: CARAMELIZED ONIONS WITH LENTIL RICE Prep time is 20 minutes, cook time is 35 minutes. 1. MELT the butter with the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, sugar and some salt and pepper. Cook until the onions become deep brown and sticky, about 20 minutes, stirring every 4 or 5 minutes. If the onions color too quickly, reduce the heat to medium-low. While the onions caramelize… 2. MAKE the rice. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. |
 [1] Rice and lentils topped with caramelized onions (photo courtesy Chef Ingrid Hoffman | Food Network).
[2] We like the flavor of Eden Organic Lentils, which are cooked with onion and bay leaf (photo courtesy Eden Foods). |
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3. ADD the rice and stir, cooking it until the grains begin to turn opaque, about 2 minutes. Add the water, lentils and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. 4. REDUCE the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed all of the liquid, about 20 minutes. Serve topped with the caramelized onions.
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