Dirty Meatless Rice

The meat typically found in dirty rice has been replaced with lentils; the rice is brown and with the addition of pearl barley, this is one very clean version of dirty rice.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup Pearl Barley, organic
• 1 cup Brown Rice, long grain
• 3 cups vegetable broth, low sodium
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil, extra virgin
• 1 large Onions, chopped
• 2 ounce Celery, chopped
• 10 ounce Green Peppers, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Red Pepper flakes
• 3 teaspoon Garlic, fresh
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 cup dried lentils
• 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 0.5 cup Parsley, roughly chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1 – In a large saucepan, combine ½ cup pearl barley with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for thirty minutes.

2 – Add chicken broth and a 4 cups of water to the pan and return to a boil.

3 – Add brown rice and lentils, return to a boil and turn heat down to medium-low. Simmer, covered, for approximately fifteen minutes.

4 – In a large pan, sauté onions, celery, peppers, pepper flakes and garlic, over a medium heat, stirring often, until they have begun to become tender. When veggies are semi cooked and slightly carmelized, place contents of entire pan into the pot with the rice and the barley.

5 – Add balsamic vinegar and return lid to pot, cooking for an additional ten minutes.

6 – Remove lid and cook until grains are tender and liquid is mostly absorbed.

7 – Toss with fresh parsley and serve immediately with your favorite Louisiana hot sauce.

Nutritional info for 1 Cup serving (recipe makes 8 servings):

********

Dirty rice is typically not made with pearl barley; this was my addition to naturally "fortify" the brown rice to add some nutritional ooomph. My taste testers (who eat dirty rice all of the time) were none the wise!