This is something I started making when my boys were young, as another way to get green vegetables into them.  It also worked well for a dear friend’s daughter who was a picky eater.  They came for dinner one day and the daughter told me she wouldn’t eat it.  I told her “Everyone tries new food at my house”…so she did.  It became a favorite for Nicole when they came over, we called it Green Rice.  Feel free to vary the herbs or cheese for a new flavor.

You’ll need:

preheat oven to 375F

3 cups cook rice or pilaf (1 1/2 cups grain and 3 cups broth and/or water)

1 medium onion, medium dice

chopped spinach

2 cloves garlic, minced

olive oil, as needed

1-2 Tbs lemon juice

8 oz feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup cottage cheese

2 eggs

2 Tbs fresh chopped basil or basil slurry (see how to have it year round here)

5 oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped (or more if you want)

Saute onion in olive oil on medium-low heat until onion begins to color.  Add garlic and saute a few minutes longer.   Place cooked rice/pilaf in a mixing bowl.  Add remaining ingredients except spinach and mix.  Stir in spinach; how much you use depends how much you like spinach.  I have, at times, added almost 10 oz and loved it.  If you use more spinach, under cook your rice/pilaf slightly to help absorb additional liquid from the spinach.  Pour mixture into a greased baking dish (I use 1 1/2 quart oblong casserole).   The depth of the mixture should be less than 3 inches.  Bake for 45 minutes.  This dish goes well with chicken and fish.

Rice with Spinach, Feta, and Lemon