Recipe by: Acacia Zambrana for Bluebird Grain Farms

Serves 4-6, Preparation Time: 35 Minutes

This is an excellent side dish for any kind of grilled or roasted meat, or any Mediterranean inspired meal.  It could even be the base of a delicious grain bowl with some chickpeas and tzatziki or hummus and roasted vegetables.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Einka & Lentil blend

1 ½ Teaspoon whole cumin seed

Kosher salt

¼ Cup olive oil

1 Large onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced into half moons

½ Teaspoon each: ground cinnamon, ground cumin, ground turmeric

Kosher salt, pepper to taste

*Optional: fresh lemon wedges, cilantro or parsley, hummus, yogurt, olives, toasted walnuts

Method:

Heat a medium pot over medium-high heat until hot.  Add the Einka & Lentil blend and 1 ½ tsp. cumin seeds and toast over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, until it begins to pop and smell toasty.  Add 2 Cups water and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.  Then lower the heat to simmer, cover and cook for 25 minutes, until done.  Drain off any excess water.

While Einka & Lentils are cooking, prepare the onions: Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat until hot.  Add ¼ Cup olive oil and let it warm for about 30 seconds.  Add the sliced onion and ½ tsp. kosher salt.  Cook, stirring every couple of minutes until the onions are deeply browned and blackened in spots, about 15 minutes.  In the last minute of cooking, add ½ tsp each: cinnamon, cumin, and turmeric.  Cook, stirring for about a minute, then remove from the heat.

To serve: Toss together the warm cumin-scented Einka & Lentils, and the fried onions – be sure to use a rubber spatula to scrape out all the spiced oil!  Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking.  Then top with any of the optional garnishes, and serve.