Cranberry Lentil Almond Rice

Here is a side I often serve with baked chicken or fish. It is easy to make and on the day you decide to go meatless, it makes for a perfect lunch. Cranberries are a very versatile ingredient and are harvested from September to November which is likely why this fall fruit features in holiday dinners from Thanksgiving to Christmas. I buy bags of it and freeze it; they are perfect to throw into a batch of muffins or my zucchini cranberry bread with the added convenience of using without thawing. In this dish, it partners perfectly with lentils, almonds and rice. For this recipe, I used parboiled rice but you can use any rice you have on hand (the cooking instructions will differ accordingly). Try this with brown rice for extra fibre. 

Skill Level: Easy

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup of parboiled rice cooked in 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups of boiling water
• 1 medium onion sliced
• 1/2  cup dried cranberries 
• 1/2 cup brown lentils soaked for 1 hour and boiled till soft but not mushy
• 1/4 cup of slivered almonds 
• 2 Tbsp live oil (not virgin or extra virgin)
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube 

 METHOD:

1. Wash and cook rice for 20 minutes in an uncovered pot. Allow to cool
2. Saute onions until transparent, add the vegetable bouillon cube
3. Add the lentils and mix well
4. Turn off the heat and add the cooled rice and mix 
5. Sprinkle the cranberries and slivered almonds until combined
6. Season if necessary