One of my favorite dishes in the world happens to be Mujadra. The first time I had Mujadra was at Al-Ameer restaurant in Dearborn Michigan. The restaurant’s interior looked like it came straight out of the 80’s; with pale pink and teal hues. My co-worker, who took me there, ordered about 10 different dishes and Mujadra and Fattoush were the two that stood out. I still make them on occasion today. However, Mujadra can be a little time-consuming since you have to cook the rice, boil the lentils and fry the onions, a step that cannot be overlooked.
Wild Garden just introduced a line of Mediterranean heat and serve pilafs and Mujadra (rice and lentils) happened to be one of them. It’s already cooked and stored in an air-tight bag. The only step I needed to do was fry the onions and microwave the bag’s contents. Being a full-time, working, mom, the convenience was appreciated.
Wild Garden has a couple other heat and serve sides that come packaged for convenience: Bulgar and Couscous with chickpeas. You can literally just dump them in a bowl and microwave and eat. I like to add my own spin on things, so I added a few simple ingredients to customize the meal to my preferences.
If you are having people for dinner, these heat and serve sides are perfect! Below I have prepared a complete menu that is perfect for entertaining, using the Wild Garden Mediterranean heat and serve pilafs. Follow my tips to put a crave-worthy spin on each dish and your guests will fall in love. The entire meal is broken down by each dish, will take just 30 minutes to prepare and will feed 3-4 people.
Mediterranean inspired meal for 4 with Wild Garden heat & serve pilafs
*Chef’s Tip – prep the veggies, herbs, fried onion and pita for each dish below and heat the Wild Garden pilafs all at the same time, prior to garnishing, for 5 minutes in the microwave.
Recipe #1
Mujadra with Fried Onions
1/2 sweet, white onion
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 package Wild Garden Rice & Lentil Pilaf
Side of Tahini (store bought)
Directions
Thinly slice white onion
Heat oil in medium saucepan (about 1 inch in depth) until almost boiling
Carefully add in onions and remove once they start turning golden brown with slotted, heat-resistant, spoon or mesh fry basket
*Note this will happen quickly so be prepared and safe!
Let cool then add to the Wild Garden Rice & Lentils (Mujadra)
Reserve the pan with oil to deep fry the pitas for your Fattoush salad (recipe below)!
Recipe #2 Chickpea Couscous with Herbs
1/4 cup chickpeas
2 T sliced sweet, white onion
2 tsp. chopped cilantro
2 T EVOO
2 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 package Wild Garden Couscous Pilaf
Directions
Prepare herbs and onions
Heat Wild Garden Couscous according to directions (about 3 minutes)
Add chickpeas, cilantro, EVOO, lemon juice, onion and mix
Serve with the rest of the meal
Bulgar with Diced tomatoes
1 package Wild Garden Bulgar
1 small tomato, diced
Directions
Heat Wild Garden Bulgar Pilaf according to directions and top with diced tomatoes and cilantro
Serve with the rest of the meal
Fattoush Salad
Serves 4
3-4 cups of chopped romaine or green leaf lettuce
1 small tomato, diced
1/2 cucumber sliced
1/2 green pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 sweet white onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. ground sumac + a dash reserved
1/2 tsp. Mediterranean Oregano
Fried pita crisps * (2 pitas)
Directions
Make the pita crisps {Take 2 pitas, cut them into 1-2 inch strips and wedges, deep fried in remaining oil from fried onions above. Bring oil to slight boil and place pitas in for just a few seconds, until golden and remove with slotted spoon or fry basket}
Make the Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe below)
Add all salad ingredients to a medium bowl, aside from vinaigrette & pita, and toss
Add 1/2 of the lemon vinaigrette and toss until coated
Top with fried pita and a light dusting of sumac
Lemon Vinaigrette
Yields: 1/2 cup (enough for 2 medium salads for 3-4 people each)
1 lemon juiced
1 large garlic clove, pressed
1/4 cup + 1 T. EVOO
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. of sugar
Directions
Add all ingredients to small mixing bowl and whisk until blended
Serve your Mediterranean feast and cheers to a healthy and delicious dinner made easy, thanks to the help of Wild Garden pilafs.
This piece is sponsored by Wild Garden, but all of the recipes are original and opinions are authentic.
