When I want my daughter to eat her greens, rice and beans all in one this is the perfect dish. She really loves it!. I like it drizzle with some lemon juice or with some yogurt sauce. Also the potatoes that are used in the bottom of the pan are delicious, because they absorb all the juices. You can use any kind of rice, basmati and brown rice are my favorites. You can also substitute cabbage leaves for the Swiss Chard.
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch Swiss Chard
- 1 cup rice, like basmati
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 6 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup cooked garbanzo beans
- 1/2 bunch chopped parsley
- 1/4 bunch chopped mint
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt to taste
- 1 large peeled and sliced potato
To prepare the filling, first wash the rice and then mix in the rest of the ingredients (except the Swiss Chard and the potato) adjusting the seasonings at the end. Let it rest. To prepare the Swiss Chard, first cut the white stalks and save them for another occasion (I like to cut and boil them and add little butter and salt). Blanch the green leaves in boiling water for a few minutes to soften them up, so they would not break when rolling. Let them cool briefly. Meanwhile arrange the potato slices in the bottom of a pan. Start filling the leaves like a burrito, this mean extend the leave in a fat surface, arrange 1 to 2 tablespoons of the filling and fold the sides, roll the leave and put them in the pan side by side, doing one layer at a time until the leaves and stuffing are finished. At the end collect the leftover juices of the filling, mix with 2 cups of water and extra salt and add to the pan. Cover the leaves with an overturned heatproof plate to prevent them from open up. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to medium. Cook for about 45 minutes or until the rice is done, you can taste one leave to be sure. Let them cool before transferring them to a plate, otherwise they will break. Serve at room temperature, with the potatoes and some yogurt sauce on the side.
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