Baked Tomato and Silverbeet Pilaf Recipe

Serves: 6–8
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes

• 3 large silverbeet leaves, stalks and leaves separated and sliced
• 2 large celery stalks, cut into 5 mm thick slices
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 800 g mixed baby tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1 generous handful chopped dill
• 1 generous handful chopped
• flat-leaf parsley
• ½ cup (125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1½ cups (300 g) jasmine rice
• 600 ml boiling water
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 50 g feta

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Place the silverbeet stalks, celery, onion, tomatoes, garlic and herbs in a roasting tin. Drizzle on the olive oil, sprinkle on the cumin and salt and toss until the vegetables are evenly coated in the oil and spices. Roast for 45–50 minutes until the vegetables are lightly golden.
3. Increase the oven temperature to 220°C. Sprinkle the rice evenly over the vegetables in the tin and gently stir. Pour on the boiling water and agitate slightly with a wooden spoon to make sure everything is in contact with the water.
4. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes to allow the rice to continue to cook and absorb any excess moisture.
5. Remove the foil, season with pepper, crumble over the feta and serve.

This is an edited extract from The Modern Mediterranean Diet by Dr Catherine Itsiopoulos & Vivienne Koutsis, published by Macmillan Australia, $39.99, photography Rob Palmer.

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