...Lentils topped with blackened onions and toasted almonds; Chickpea and black bean salad with lemon and balsamic dressing, sprinkled with feta; Pecan smoked venison sausage with char, sliced thin.

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The names may be long but the taste is something to be desired this miraculous meal is from the kitchens of  nolanbear

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Lebanese Rice Pilaf with Lentils topped with blackened onions and toasted almonds

Chickpea and black bean salad with lemon and balsamic dressing, sprinkled with feta

Pecan smoked venison sausage with char, sliced thin

Was a tasty meal, warm and filling for a rainy day. The bean salad was a nice lighter addition to offset the meat and rice.

A few people were asking for the recipes from the image I recently uploaded. I'll post them here as well as ad them to the submission

Rice pilaf

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 Tbsp garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3 3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth
3/4 cup dried lentils, rinsed, picked over
3/4 cup long-grain white rice

2 large onions, sliced

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the medium chopped onion, garlic,cumim, and allspice; sauté until onion softens, about 4 minutes. Add broth and lentils; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in rice; return to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions; sauté until soft and beginning to blacken, about 20 minutes.

In a small pan over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp butter and slivered almonds. Toast until golden, salt lightly

Serve rice topped with onions and almonds

Chickpea and black bean salad

14.5 oz can of chickpeas *rinsed and strained*
14.5 oz can of black beans*rinsed and strained*
14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes*rinsed and strained*
4-5 Tbsp olive oil
5-6 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 large lemon
1 Tbsp garlic

Combine all the ingredients in a glass glass bowl and mix well, juice the lemon over the salad and mix again. This should be allowed to rest in the fridge at least an hour. The longer it marinates the better usually. Serve topped with a light sprinkle of feta crumbles

Hehe I cheated a bit on this part. This was a pre-smoked ready made sausage. I just tossed it on the grill for a couple of minutes to heat it up and get some char on it. Once it's cooked, let it rest for 5-10 minutes then cut lengthways at a angle to get long slices.

Serve and enjoy

Other than the meat and the small amount of butter in this meal I'd say this is a fairly healthier option for cold weather food. The lentils and beans give the dishes some protein and the rice with all it's spices has a ton of flavor and warmth. The salad and rice pilaf in my opinion are enough to be a meal on their own. If you just have to have meat try leaner options like venison, bison or lamb.

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