Southern-Style Lentils and Shrooms with Rice

Spring semester has begun and I've hit the ground running. I was looking for something simple to make for dinner tonight when my vegan guides started whispering in my ear, guiding my hands, and gifting me with yet another tasty lentils and rice recipe. Hey, I'm vegan. I can't have too many recipes for lentils and rice.

I altered the Warm Lentil and Rice Salad over Wilted Mesclun recipe on page 36 of the November/December 2007 issue of Vegetarian Times again. The first time I altered it, I came up with Indian Lentils and Tofu with Rice. This time, it was more like Southern-Style Lentils and Shrooms with Rice. And in case you were wondering ... yeah ... naming these recipes is almost as much fun as coming up with them.

Southern-Style Lentils and Shrooms with Rice

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 6-oz. package LightLife Organic Smoky Tempeh Strips (aka Fakin' Bacon), chopped
• 2 cups cremini mushrooms - cleaned, stemmed, and sliced about 1/3 of an inch thick
• 1 tablespoon Italian Herb Seasoning
• 1 cup green French lentils, rinsed and picked over
• ½ cup white basmati rice
• 2 ½ cups veggie broth

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and Fakin' Bacon and sauté 5-7 minutes or until onions are soft. Add Italian Herb Seasoning and mushrooms and gently stir to incorporate. Place lid on skillet and cook about 3 minutes until mushrooms release moisture. Stir in lentils, rice, and 2 ½ cups veggie broth. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 25 minutes or until lentils and rice are tender. If needed, season with salt and pepper once more.

I served this deliciousness on slices of toasted flat bread for a yummie hot dinner on this cold and rainy winter night.

I took food porn pics, but I still haven't resolved my driver issue. Bummer. I used my cute plates tonight, too.

Try this recipe! Maybe your vegan guides will begin whispering in your ear. If they do, send me your version of this recipe. It's a good 'un!