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.
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.