My original approach involved adding the lentils and rice at the same time and letting it all cook together. Although there are some benefits to this approach the draw back is that it doesn’t help me to learn the two in isolation which would provide me a more versatile understanding.
I stopped adding the rice and focused on cooking lentils and vegetables with minimal seasonings. I put some oil in a Stainless Steal pot at dial mark 2 on the electric stove. Then I add some garlic, an entire onion chopped up, a bunch of celery, and then after that has gotten kinda juicy I add about two cups of French Green Lentils and as much water as I can fit.
I let that cook on the Low setting covered and stir it with a Wooden Spoon from time to time. I don’t monitor it too closely since it’s on low with a lot of water. After an hour or so passes I watch it more and when all of the lentils are soft I turn off the heat. I stir it a bunch to break up some of the lentils, add a little salt and usually some dried basil.
Next I put it all into wide mouth mason jars. Plastic containers are ridicules so I refuse to use them. Also the jars keep better, wash better, stack easier, and if a lid gets messed up then you can buy more lids. Plus you can recycle glass. Try to replace just the lid of a plastic container. If you can then try to replace the lid 3 months from now. Yeah. Mason jar lids will always remain compatible. They come in two sizes and in two parts.
I use One Pint(2 cup) Wide Mouth Can or Freeze Mason Jars. This type stacks the best with the bottom of one jar setting in the lid of the jar below. I can store my dry or cooked lentils, rice, dried fruit, anything. Moths, Ants, and other pest won’t get in. They won’t even know that food exist in your house.
Instead of rice I have been working with Hard Winter Wheat Berries from the bulk bins at WholeFoods. I cook them on low for a long time. The berries swell and split and the extra water becomes cream of wheat. This I can use for breakfast mixed with raisins, nuts, dried cranberries, and such or use as a rice like addition to the lentils bringing in even more iron and fiber. I call it Complete Cream of Wheat because the Bran and Germ haven’t been removed. It could be cooked less as well for less cream effect. Cream of Wheat is usually made with soft wheat.
Variation: Vegetables could be given less cook time by adding them after Lentils have cooked some. I would recommend cooking the Lentils by themselves and deduce how long it takes to get them the way you want them. Then with that duration in mind, throw in the vegetables whenever you want so that they finish up at the same time.
Feel free to let me know what you think of all this.
