Mujadara with Mango Cucumber Relish

the comfort food you didn't know you needed

Hello friends…I come to you from the other side of whatever tried to take me down last week. All I know is that Roen came home with a fever, then 2 days later, Reya, then 2 days later it was me and hubs. I don’t know exactly what the virus was, but it felt like a bad flu coupled with a crappy upper respiratory situation that took us all out. I had to bid farewell to the extravagant Mother’s Day brunch plans we had planned and instead spent the day popping ibuprofen in bed. This turned out to be a true bummer because it had been raining a ton here and it was the first beautiful weekend with no rain in sight. Alas, the universe had other plans for me, so I just surrendered to it all. I do hope all the mamas here got to soak up a beautiful day with absolutely no decision making and a mimosa in hand!

Whenever I get sick, which thankfully is much less these days, I try to tune in deeply to what my body is asking for. This is a new practice for me. You see, I move fast, I keep busy, and I do a lot…and I have a history of running myself down. A huge part of my focus this year has been the development of a nurturing relationship to my body and health. Years prior, I would get sick (often) and the minute I would start to feel better, I’d slam on the gas pedal and get back to it. Nowadays, I’m giving myself some grace. Giving my body some TLC which includes rest, slowness, sunshine and in my case, some homemade green juice, has been a revelation.  I took a look at my calendar this week and removed a couple of things that felt too big energetically and the minute I did that; let myself off the hook, my body drifted into a deep state of ease and relaxation. It was like my soul said, “thank you friend”.

We live in a world that moves faster than it ever has. There are thoughts, ideas, and images being thrown at us constantly from the moment we wake up. It’s easy to stay in the frenetic energy of it all and move in that rhythm without even realizing or “tuning in” to what our bodies, minds and souls crave, desire, or require. If you pause and listen….what’s there?

Some of the meals I cooked last week were simple, beautiful, and nourishing, just what I wanted when I “tuned in” to my appetite. Rice is my comfort food; it has been since I was a little girl and that little girl needed some of that comfort this week. Today I’m sharing one of my favorite dishes that is way more than the sum of its parts.  It’s a Lebanese rice and lentils dish called Mujadara and I pair it with a very untraditional mango cucumber relish that counterbalances its earthy vibe well. These two paired together can make a beautiful vegetarian meal that is full of fiber, good fat, and protein. Add a dollop of yogurt or some crumbled feta, and  it’s a pantry meal from heaven.