This dish today is not only delicious and simple to make, but also very healthy and economical! Not to mention colourful!
The hardest part is the grating of the carrot and chopping of the onion and celery! I kid you not!
After you have that done, you just stir everything together and pour it into a baking dish.
Cover it tightly with foil and bang it into the oven. It basically cooks itself. You do have to give it a stir halfway through the cooking, but that's not a problem!
At the end of the cooking time you are rewarded with a delicious perfectly cooked rice pilaf that is loaded with colour, veg and fibre!
You don't have to use carrots if you don't like them. I have grated broccoli stems before, or used frozen sliced green beans, frozen peas and corn, whatever you like!
It goes with just about everything. I even like eating this all on it's own! The leftovers make a nice lunch/snack with some cooked chicken stirred in, it goes down a real treat.
Great with stews or grills or roasts, this always goes down well with everyone I serve it to!
*Baked Rice Pilaf*Serves 4Printable Recipe A healthy baked pilaf that is simple to make and goes very well with fish, poultry and most meats.
420ml boiling water (1 3/4 cups)2 large carrots, peeled and grated (about 1 cup)2 stalks celery, washed, trimmed and chopped (about 1 cup)160g uncooked long grain rice (3/4 cup)3 TBS minced fresh flat leaf parsley2 TBS finely chopped onion2 TBS butter, melted1 chicken stock pot or 1 TBS instant chicken bouillion granules
Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Have ready an 8 inch square baking dish. Combine all of the ingredients and pour into the dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and give it a good stir. Recover and bake for a further 20 to 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed. let stand for a few minutes prior to serving. Serve hot.
We had this the other night with some chunky fish fingers, and steamed broccoli/cauliflower and some crazy yellow carrots I had bought! It was really good. And the dog enjoyed some as well. It was a pretty healthy dish for her as well! I hope you will try it and like it! Happy November and Bon Appetit!
