Skillet Beef with Lentils

The first recipe tried from my newest acquisition: "More-With-Less," recipes & suggestions by Mennonites on how to eat better and consume less of the world's limited food resources.  This was a tasty meal, but I couldn't just leave well enough alone.  I added carrots to it, to make it a more complete 'meal in a pan' and next time, I will also add celery and more rice than it called for.  See my notes in [brackets] beside ingredients.



Skillet Beef with Lentils
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. lentils, rinsed
2 Tbsp. butter
2 medium onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced [I did 2]
1 lb. ground beef
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 Tbsp long-grain rice [I used Brown Jasmine*- I will probably do at least 1/4 c. next time]
2 large carrots, peeled & coarsely chopped [optional]

2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped [optional]
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp cider vinegar [I forgot to add, but will use next time]

Directions:
Bring 1 qt. water to a boil in saucepan, add lentils, cook 20 minutes.  Drain, reserving liquid.  Set lentils aside.
In a deep skillet, saute butter, onions, garlic.  Add beef, brown well.
Dissolve bouillon cubes in reserved water, adding boiling water (if necessary) to make 2 1/3 c.of liquid.
Add liquid to meat mixture, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
Stir in lentils, rice, sugar and seasonings.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30-40 minutes, or until lentils and rice are tender and liquid absorbed (add more liquid if necessary).  Check seasonings and stir in vinegar.

*Note: because Brown Jasmine takes 40-45 minutes to cook, I 'pre-cooked' mine in a small pan for the 10 minutes that the meat was simmering.  It still took longer than 30 minutes for the rice & lentils to be tender.  Long-grain white rice probably would have been easier, but I didn't have any on hand...