Meatless Monday - Green Rice with Leeks and Roasted Chiles

One thing that’s awesome about living in Georgia is that we can eat out of our garden all year long.  A few cold days will slow down the yield of tomatoes and other summer veggies but they aren’t completely gone.  The cool weather vegetables are producing too so it is possible to make dishes with combinations of both.  Of course it’s also pretty easy to find decent quality vegetables in some grocery stores.

This dish uses some mixed season vegetables, I paired it with one of the last tomatoes from the garden but it will pair nicely with lots of other foods.  The rice is hardy enough to be a main dish but it would make a great side dish too.  I love these types of recipes for pot luck dinners, don’t you?

Green Rice with Leeks and Roasted Chiles 

Ingredients: 

3 cups vegetable broth or stock
3 poblano chilies (or chilies of your choice)
2 TBS olive oil
1 1/2 cups white rice, uncooked
3 - 4 medium sized leeks, white parts and paler greens, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup parsley leaves
1 cup cilantro
4 ounces queso fresco, cubed
1/2 cup sour cream
kosher salt

Directions: 

Char the chilies over an open flame, drop them in a plastic bag and let them steam for 15 minutes.  Then pull off the skin (whatever comes off the easiest, it doesn’t have to be perfect), remove the seeds and roughly chop.

Heat your dutch oven, pour in the oil, add the rice and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes while stirring occationally.  Add the leeks, chilies, a pinch of salt, the bay leaf, and the broth. Stir and cook for a few minutes then lower the heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

While that is cooking, puree the cilantro and parsely in a small food processor or blender.  Add a little water but no more than one cup, just enough to make it saucy.  Stir this sauce into the rice when it’s done cooking.  Add the chopped cheese while the rice is still warm.  Serve with sour cream.

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