1 cup long grain brown rice
1/4 cup lentils
2 cups vegetable stock
2 large onions, sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
water
salt

1. Bring water to a boil and pour over rice. Allow water to reach room temperature, then drain.
2. Meanwhile, place onions and vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cover and fry until onions are fully caramelized, stirring occasionally, about half an hour.
3. Place lentils and rice in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the stock and bring it to a boil.
4. Cook uncovered until lentils are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed or evaporated, about 20-30 minutes.
5. Stir in the caramelized onions and add more salt if necessary.

Makes 4 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
8 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Combine garlic, lemon juice, thyme, paprika, cayenne, olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. Place chicken in marinade, covering completely. Cover and marinade overnight in the refrigerator.
3. Preheat grill.
4. Remove chicken from the marinade and thread on skewers.
5. Grill chicken until fully cooked and juices run clear, rotating every couple of minutes.

Makes 4 servings

In scanning the globe for regional fare that I am completely unfamiliar with and can actually recreate within my means, I came across a couple of interesting Lebanese recipes. I know next to nothing about Lebanon and even less about their cuisine, so I figured this would be a perfect region to choose. Some of the recipes involved cooked yogurt, which looked interesting, and I'll likely try at a later date. However, since I really don't know whether I'd be doing anything right or not, I started with something simple.

Ever since making the French Onion Soup I've been tossing around recipes with caramelized onions. Well, M’jadrah, a Lebanese rice and lentil dish tastes basically like the French onion soup of the starch community. It has a simple but potent flavor that is very satisfying, both hot and cold. I imagine it would be pretty underwhelming just cooked in water, so I added vegetable stock since I figured it'd go better with the onions. I can only assume that I was right.

On top of that I laid a few Lebanese Chicken Skewers. Again with the paprika, I imagine they'd be better if I had waited for the good stuff. They were spicy with a lemon garlic flavor with a pleasant lingering aftertaste that seemed more worthwhile than the actual chicken itself. Perhaps that has something to do with my somewhat rushed marinating time. As far as I know, no one's ever gone wrong with lemon and garlic, so the Lebanese at least know not to mess with a good thing.