Lemon-Scented Rice with Lentils & Sautéed Onions

I love rice. But, I find that I don't eat it as much as I would like, probably because it is shoved in the back of the pantry and I never think to make it. When I was in Israel, I ordered a delicious meat platter — I don't remember what type of meat— and it came with this amazing rice. Soft buttery white rice dotted with lentils and sautéed onions. It was such a delight to eat. The memory popped into my head the other day and I decided to recreate it at home. I ate it as a hot snack on a cold rainy day and it was the most satisfying bowl of rice. I adapted it slightly and added lemon juice and lemon zest for more zing in the rice. This is a great side to quickly heat up for a weekday meal or lunch — and It's even better the next day.

Lemon-Scented Rice with Lentils & Sautéed Onions

1 cup basmati rice, or any rice you choose : 2 cups water

1/2 onion, chopped

1 cup green lentils : 3 cups water

1/2 lemon juice and zest

Parsley sprigs as garnish, optional

1 Wash rice under cold water until water runs clear. Bring 2 cups salted water to a boil. Add rice and bring back to a boil, cover.

2 While the rice is boiling, bring another saucepan with 3 cups water to a boil. Add lentils and bring back to a boil.

3 Both will take about 20 minutes until tender and all the water is absorbed.

4 Heat a small skillet with olive oil and sauté the chopped onions until golden. Place onions on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

5 When all ingredients are ready, let cool and mix in the onions into the rice and stir well. Spoon some lentils into the rice and stir. I like more rice than lentils but you can choose whatever ratio you like.

6 Zest 1/2 a lemon into the rice mixture, along with its juice. Stir all together.

Serve with other half of lemon and parsley sprigs optional.

Roast Chicken with Rice-Pistachio Stuffing

I just bought Mark Bittmans' How To Cook Everything, do any of you have it? I've heard all about it in the blogosphere and decided to give him a try. This book is like an encyclopedia of everything you would want to cook. Ever. It is amazing. I knew I had to make this recipe when I read it. Plus, I had a friend coming over for dinner that night so it was the perfect opportunity to try out something new and a little more festive. And even if it didn't come out good, being the good friend that she is, she wouldn't mind a bowl of cereal for dinner :)

 At first, stuffing a roast chicken may sound daunting (believe me, I was very nervous) but it was surprisingly simple! Like any roast chicken, the oven does all the work. Plus, normally when you buy a whole chicken the inner cavity is already cleaned out and ready to go!

I adapted this recipe slightly form Mark's original recipe. He used white basmati rice as is but I couldn't help but have some color in the rice. I sprinkled some Turmeric, a spice that gives gorgeous yellow color to rice. The results were fantastic! And honestly, who doesn't love pistachios? Especially when they are sauteed in butter. MMmm. On to the recipe!

Roast Chicken with Rice-Pistachio Stuffing

adapted from Mark Bittman

1/2 cup basmati

3 tablespoons butter or olive oil

1/4 cup pistachios, shelled

Turmeric, enough to give some color (I just kept adding little by little until it reached the color I wanted)

Salt 'n' peppa to taste

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 whole chicken, interior cavity cleaned (the butcher at the market already did this for me)

1 Bring a large pot of water to boil and season with salt. Add the basmati rice and simmer until tender, but not mush (this is very important). Wash and drain the cooked rice in a colander. Twice. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2 Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter or oil in a large skillet and toss in the pistachios. Stir for about 1 minute, add the cooked rice and stir. Season with salt, pepper, and turmeric until desired level of color.

3 Add lemon juice to the rice mixture. This mixture can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

4 Stuff the chicken loosely with the rice/nut mixture. If there is some left over, leave it for the side dish.

5 Rub the chicken with the remaining butter or oil and season well with salt 'n' peppa. Place on a rack in a roasting pan (I use disposable ones) and cook for about 1.5 hours, depending on the size of your bird. Baste with oil or butter and pan juices about halfway through.

6 Remove chicken from the oven when done and let it rest for 5 minutes. Carve and serve with stuffing and pan juices.