Curried Rice & Lentils

Ok, so it's not Meal Monday.  It's Wednesday.  But I made this last night and decided I should post it since I wasn't able to blog on Monday.  It's a better version of this recipe.  It only took 10 minutes to prepare and then 45 minutes to bake.  Not too shabby.  It wasn't as dry as the aforementioned recipe and much tastier.  I found the recipe & photo on kitchendaily.  

• Preheat oven to 350 and move rack to lower third of the oven.
•  Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.  
•  Add rice and toast for about a minute and a half.
• Add the curry powder (I used some medium powder to give it a little heat) and stir for 15 seconds or until fragrant.
• Add the water, lentils, garlic, cinnamon, ginger & salt.  
• Stir, cover and put it in the oven for 45-55 minutes.
• Fluff with a fork and sprinkle with the scallions 

I served it over some wilted spinach, which worked well.  Don't know how to wilt spinach?  I just melted some butter (less than a tablespoon) in a skillet with a little salt & pepper.  You can use oil or just water instead of butter, if you prefer.  Then I added the spinach (washed & trimmed) and watched it wilt while I tossed it around with some tongs.   The spinach added some good flavor and will help maximize iron absorption.  This is a perfect meal for a spouse or partner to whip up after the baby arrives.  It's fast, easy, filling and full of protein, iron and fiber.  

We also added some sweet mango chutney on the side.