Baked Curried Jasmine Rice and Lentil Pilaf over Spinach (Tuesday)

Makes 4 servings 1 tablespoon butter 1 cup jasmine rice 4 1⁄4 cups water 1 cup brown lentils 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 cinnamon stick 4 (1⁄8-inch-thick) slices fresh

ginger, peeled

1 to 2 teaspoons red curry paste (see note)

1⁄2 teaspoon coarse salt

8 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

4 green onions, sliced

Prep time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: less than 30 minutes. Place rack in lower third of oven; heat to 350 degrees.

Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large ovenproof Dutch oven; add rice and cook, stirring, 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Add water. Stir in lentils, garlic, cinnamon stick, ginger, curry paste and salt; bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve curry paste. Cover pot tightly with lid or foil.

Transfer to preheated oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until rice and lentils are tender and all the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork, removing cinnamon stick and ginger slices. Serve on a bed of spinach; garnish with green onions.

Note: Red curry paste is a blend of chile peppers, garlic, lemon grass and galangal (a root with a flavor similar to ginger). Look for it in jars or cans, or in the Asian section of your supermarket.

Per serving: 391 calories, 73g carbohydrate, 19g protein, 3g fat (1.9g saturated), 8mg cholesterol, 399mg sodium, 10g fiber. Calories from fat: 7%.