Mexican Lentils and Rice

This is another one of those foods that isn't much to look at, but tastes really good. I've been making this dish since the second year Michael and I were married, when I was looking for Mexican-inspired foods that didn't contain corn. Since I didn't know how to cook when I got married, the fact that I felt comfortable making this dish is a good indication that it's easy to make. What I also like about Mexican lentils and rice is that it's a nice vegetarian dish all by itself, or it goes well as a side dish with grilled cilantro lime chicken or other Mexican-themed meat dishes. You can make it with or without the shredded cheese on top.

The original recipe called for one packet of taco seasoning mix; however, this doesn't work for my family since all of the mixes I've found contain one or more of the following: corn, wheat, dairy, soy, or citric acid. I searched for homemade taco seasoning mixes and came up with the spice mixture included in my recipe below. If you would like to make the recipe with a taco seasoning packet instead of my spice mix, just omit all of the herbs, spices, and salt in the ingredient list.

Mexican Lentils and Rice
serves 4 to 8 adults (depending on whether it's a main dish or side dish)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of lentils
  
• 1 large onion
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 medium carrot
• 4 cups of water
• 1 rice-cooker cup (or 3/4 cup using a regular measuring cup) uncooked long-grain white rice
• 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (or less if you don't prefer it as spicy)
• 1 6-oz can of tomato paste. Try to buy one that contains just tomatoes and no citric acid.
• optional: 1 small can Lindsay Naturals sliced olives. (Most other brands contain ferrous gluconate, which comes from corn.)
• optional: 1/2 to 1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese. Buy a block of cheese and not pre-grated cheese, which contains corn products to prevent clumping.

Instructions:

Put the lentils in a bowl and fill the bowl with water to soak the lentils.

Throughly rinse the rice: Put the rice in a medium bowl and fill the bowl with water. Swish the rice around in the water with your hand. The water will turn whitish in color as the rice starch comes off the rice into the water. Then pour the starchy water out into the sink and fill the bowl with water again. Do this four or five times, until the water remains mostly clear even after having the rice stirred around in it. Then drain the water from the rice, transfer the rice to a rice cooker, add water, and let it cook.

Finely chop the onion, carrot, and celery. Pour four cups of water into a 4-quart pot. Add the chopped vegetables. Stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the water has come to a boil, drain the water from the lentils, rinse thoroughly in a colander or sieve, and add the lentils to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low or low, cover with a lid, and let simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the lentils and vegetables are fully cooked and tender.

Halfway through the cooking time for the lentils and vegetables, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 2-quart Pyrex dish (the 8"x8" square one) or casserole dish with canola oil. Measure out all of the spices.

When the lentils and vegetables are done, remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the spices, tomato paste, cooked rice, and olives. Pour the mixture into the greased dish. Place in the oven for 30 minutes, until the liquid is bubbling and has been mostly absorbed. If you would like to add shredded cheese, sprinkle it on top halfway through the baking time. After removing the dish from the oven, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.