Kale

Basmati Rice and Kale Gratin

This is a perfect way to sneak a Nutritious & Delicious meal in for your kids ~ good luck. The fragrant, creamy gratin provides a whopping serving of calcium.
Course Main Course
Servings 8 People

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup red bell peppers diced
  • 1 cup whole-kernel corn
  • 1 1/4 cups uncooked basmati rice
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • 4 lbs. kale
  • 1 1/4 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 2/3 cup fresh parmesan cheese grated
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/4 cup fresh whole wheat bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ

Instructions
 

  • Combine the stock, bell peppers, corn, rice and thyme in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer until the rice is tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash (but do not dry) the kale and trim and discard the stems. Place the kale in a large pt, cover and cook over medium-high heat until it wilts, about 5 minutes. (The water on the leaves is sufficient to steam the greens.) Drain and coarsely chop. Fluff the rice mixture with a fork.
  • In a large bowl, combine the cooked kale, the rice mixture, ricotta, half of the Parmesan, salt and pepper. Place in an oiled, 2-quart gratin dish. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan, breadcrumbs and wheat germ. Bake until golden and bubbling almost 30 minutes.