Green Lentils & Rice with Chicken

I always knew I had a tendency to tinker around a little bit with recipes, but I didn't realize my habit was a full-fledged addiction until I started cooking every single day. It just feels so right for some reason....

This recipe originally started as more of a side dish, but I quickly morphed it into a full-fledged dinner by adding shredded chicken and some spices - yum! I have a feeling I'm not done messing with it though, so stay tuned for future experiments 😉

Green Lentils & Rice with Chicken

Serves 6-8

1 cup dry green lentils

2 cups water

4 tbsp olive oil, divided into 2 tbsp portions

1 cup basmati rice (brown rice also works)

1 medium onion, diced

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp turmeric 

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 pound chicken breasts, grilled and shredded

Place the lentils in a pot, and cover with water. Bring to a roiling boil over high heat for 5 minutes, then cover and remove from heat.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and sauté until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. 

Heat remaining 2 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the rice and cook for about 1 minute (toasting it a bit heightens the flavor), then stir in the lentils, onions, spices, and water. Bring the rice mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low for 5 minutes. Stir once, then re-cover and reduce heat further to low, cooking until the rice is tender (about 15 minutes). 

When rice mixture is finished cooking, toss in chicken and serve. 

Helpful tip: This makes quite a bit, so you'll probably have leftovers. It dries out a little in the fridge, so I'd recommend stirring in a touch of olive oil before reheating.