Cozy Autumn Rice Bake
serves 4-6
I chose organic ground beef for the protein in this layered dish, but pieces of chicken would also work beautifully. And vegans, take note: substitute the beef with a mix of cooked black and red beans.Read more about this recipe at Karina's Kitchen.
2 cups long-grain white or brown rice
2 pounds organic, grass-fed ground beef
1 onion, roughly chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green bell pepper, sliced
2 cups Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
Italian dried herbs, to taste (basil, oregano, thyme, fennel, rosemary)
A dash of nutmeg
A dash of any hot spice you like
1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted, crushed tomatoes (I used Muir Glen)
A goodly splash of balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup whole cranberries (frozen and thawed are fine)
1/2 cup chopped Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
A splash of good extra virgin olive oil
prep: 45 minutes
total: 1 hour 45 minutes
medium saucepan
large baking dish
skillet
can opener
aluminum foil
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet and brown the ground beef; pour off the fat.
3. Add the onion, garlic, peppers and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Season with Italian dried herbs and add the nutmeg and hot sauce. Then add the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, cranberries, olives, capers, parsley and mix well. Add sea salt and ground pepper, to taste.
4. Spoon the cooked rice into the bottom of the baking dish. Add enough extra virgin olive oil to moisten, and fluff the rice a bit. Season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
5. Top the rice with the beef and vegetable mixture. Drizzle a good tasting extra virgin olive oil all over the top.
6. Cover loosely with foil and bake for one hour until the center is piping hot. (Note: if you have made this ahead of time and chilled it, it will take longer to bake; plan on an additional 20-30 minutes.)
