The flavours of Morocco shine through in this really simple rice dish.
When I think of Morocco, or anything Middle Eastern, I think of the wonderful spices, nuts and fruits which are used in so many dishes. This really simple rice dish makes your kitchen smell amazing, and is quick to do. It is quite similar to a risotto, without all the stirring and fuss. You can add or subtract a range of spices, dried fruits and nuts depending on your particular tastes. Think outside the square with what you use – don’t panic if you only have sultanas instead of currants. Replace pine nuts with macadamias or use the pine nut and slivered almond mix, which is a bit cheaper to buy. The amazing aromas of the mixed spices will have you coming back to the recipe over and over again.
A favourite way to use it is to stuff tomatoes or capsicum and roast them in the oven in a lemon butter sauce. (A bit of butter and a squeeze of lemon). You can make the rice the day before, or assemble the whole dish the day before and just pop into the oven the next night. Great for a Friday night dinner when you are tired from work!
* Pan sear a piece of salmon or ocean perch and have it on top of a bowl of this rice.
* Shred a Barbecue chicken and lightly stir it through when the rice has nearly finished cooking.
* Hollow out a cob loaf, fill it with the cooked rice, top with grated cheese and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. KIDS LOVE IT!
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Happy cooking,
Harvest Kitchen