2006-07-17 - 11:11 a.m.

Here is a recipe for y'all that I really enjoy. I enjoy it because:

1. It is cheap! None of the ingredients are over $1, unless you are buying your spices at the grocery store rather than the bulk-foods aisle of a natural foods store.
2. It is simple! If you can work a stove and stir a pot, you can make this.
3. It is vegan, so you and all your friends can eat it! That is, unless you are friends with some sort of brahmin who will not eat onions, but he's probably used to packing his own lunch anyway.
4. It is nutritious! Lentils have a bunch of protin and barley has a bunch of fiber and manganese and stuff. Also, it's pretty low in fat.
5. It tastes fucking great! It's good hot, and it's good cold.

YOU NEED

1 big ol' onion or two medium onions
a little bit of olive oil (for cooking)
1 cup of lentils
2 1/2 cups of water
1 cup of barley (or rice, but I think barley tastes better and brings the dish together more)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin OR 1/4 tsp allspice OR THE VERY BEST 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/8 tsp allspice

Put the lentils in a pot with the water, bring to a boil, and then turn down to simmer. Cover and let cook for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the onion up very thin and sautee in the olive oil. Cook until soft and set aside 1/3 of the onions, then let the rest cook until they're all brownish and maybe even charred a bit.

After the 20 minutes is up, pour in the barley, the soft non-browned onions, and the spices. Stir well, and then let it simmer for another 15 minutes. When the barley's cooked through, stir in the browned onions and let it sit off the heat for another 10 minutes or so. It's delicious with some greens and carrots on the side, and maybe even some rarebit if you're feeling spicy.