This works well as a side dish to grilled fish or meat, but you can add more vegetables (broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, peas, etc.) to make it more hearty as a vegetarian main dish.
Serves 6-8 as a side dish, more if you add more vegetables
Recipe adapted from NYTimes Cooking. The photo is theirs.
Ingredients:
4 leeks
1 lemon
1/4 cup raw almonds
Pinch red pepper flakes (more to taste)
4 Tbl. olive oil
Salt and pepper
1-1/2 cups uncooked basmati rice
1 (15-ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed
2-1/2 cups boiling water (or vegetable stock or chicken broth)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped herbs (basil, mint, chives, whatever you like)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Rinse the leeks well, then slice the white and light green parts into 1/4" thick rounds.
Using a vegetable peeler, shave 1"-thick ribbons of lemon peel. Set the lemon aside.
In a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan, combine the leeks, lemon peel, almonds, red pepper flakes and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and spread the mixture into a layer across the bottom of the pan. Place in oven and roast until the leeks start to caramelize, about 20 minutes (keep an eye on them so they don't burn. Stir a few times if they're browning unevenly).
Remove the lemon peel ribbons and chop them finely, then sprinkle them back on top of the leeks. Layer the uncooked rice evenly over the top of the leeks, then top with the beans and another grind or two of salt. Pour the boiling water over the top, then cover tightly with aluminum foil and place back in the oven. Bake until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let sit (still covered) for about 5 minutes. Then fluff the rice, add juice from half of the lemon, the parmesan cheese and the herbs and stir gently to combine. Taste and add more lemon juice and/or salt and pepper if it needs it. You can serve with more parmesan sprinkled over the top if you'd like.
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