Mushroom & Lentil Pilaf

1 cup sprouted rice blend
2 'not-beef' bouillon cubes
2 Tbs avocado oil
1 leek, white and light green parts chopped
1 lb baby bella mushrooms, diced
15oz can of lentils, rinsed and drained

1) In a medium saucepan, cook rice according to package directions, but add the bouillon cubes to the water.
2) Meanwhile, saute the leeks and mushrooms in oil over medium-high heat, in a large saute pan. Stirring frequently, saute until most of the mushrooms' water has evaporated.
3) One the rice and leek/mushroom mixture has finished cooking, add the rice to the large saute pan, along with the can of lentils. Mix well and heat until hot throughout the mixture. Serve warm.

Review:  I was in such a rush to make all of the holiday dishes, that I didn't pay attention to the recipe I planned to make. Therefore, I had rice already boiling before I realized I was supposed to cook quinoa. My oops turned out for the best, because the hearty flavor of this dish just wouldn't fit with quinoa. This had a deep, earthy flavor that was so very savory. I adored it and non-vegetarian family members asked for the recipe!

Adapted from:
http://thesethingsilove.com/2013/03/mushroom-lentil-quinoa-pilaf/

Sprouted Rice With Butternut Squash & Haricot Verts (original recipe)

1 butternut squash, peeled and diced
2 cups sprouted rice blend, uncooked
1 Tbs ground sage
1 Tbs rosemary, crushed
1 cup pinot grigio
1 leek, white and light green parts chopped
1 lb haricot verts, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup walnuts, toasted

1) Preheat the oven to 400F. Grease a rimmed baking sheet and add butternut squash. Spray with olive oil cooking spray and bake for 45-50 minutes, until browned.
2) Meanwhile, cook rice according to package directions, typically 25-30 minutes. Combine cooked rice with sage and rosemary.
3) In a large saute pan, mix the leeks and pinot grigio. Bring to a boil and allow wine to reduce to about 1/4 cup, about 7-10 minutes. Add haricot verts and cover, steaming the beans until bright green, 3-5 minutes.
4) To serve, make a bed of rice and top with haricot verts, butternut squash and toasted walnuts.

Review:  I've been chronically fatigued and disinterested in cooking as of late. This has led to eating a lot of crap. So, I pledged to do things differently this week and committed to cooking. However, my disinterest led to not looking for new recipes. I instead grabbed random produce at the grocery store this weekend. I spent much of today pondering what I could make with the ingredients I owned and this is what I came up with. It was unbelievably delicious. The tanginess of the wine reduction was such a great counter to the sweetness of the butternut squash and then toasty flavor of the walnuts was a nice finish. The haricot verts/leeks/rice were a nice base to such a wonderful flavor combination. Yum!!