Meatless Monday Recipe-Brown Rice, Vegetable & Herb Gratin

Brown Rice, Vegetable & Herb Gratin

Serves 4; Vegetarian; 1 hour

What is great about this recipe, is that you can use whatever veggies you have on hand. I used mushrooms and yellow squash for carrots and baby corn cobs. If you switch the cheese and butter to non-dairy ingredients-the recipe becomes vegan.

1/3 cup brown rice (I used 2/3 cups)

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 red onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 carrot, cut into matchsticks

1 zucchini, sliced

2 3/4 oz. baby corn cobs, halved lengthwise

2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

3 tablespoons chopped mixed herbs (I used mint, basil, parsley and oregano)

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons whole-wheat bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the rice in a saucepan of boiling water for 20 minutes. (It took mine about 35 minutes. Besides the baking, this is the longest part of the recipe.)

2. Lightly grease a 3 3/4 cup ovenproof dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

3. Heat the butter in a skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, or until softened.

4. Add the garlic, carrot, zucchini, and corn cobs and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

5. Mix the rice with the sunflower seeds and mixed herbs and stir into the pan.

6. Stir in half of the mozzarella cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. Spoon the mixture into the greased dish and top with the bread crumbs and remaining cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese begins to turn golden. Serve at once.

Variation: Use an alternative rice, such as basmati, and flavor the dish with curry spices, if desired.

Found: What's Cooking Vegetarian by Jenny Stacey