Broccoli Rabe and Spinach Rice

I made this rice with the fabulous  shrimp saute with dill and cilantro. As I mentioned yesterday, my daughter’s friend stayed for dinner.

I love having her friends over for dinner and I thought, “what a meal to serve a little girl who is not used to eating Indian food very often”. Even after I showed her the colorful meal, she was adamant about staying. I was quite worried about her reaction to the rice. It was not only cooked in a broccoli rabe pesto, but baby spinach was also tossed in at the last minute. The green color was bright and unmistaken and we all know what most kids think about this color…

As we sat down for the meal, my daughter began eating and relishing her food. Her friend looked down on the rice and didn’t look so happy. My daughter quickly informed her that the rice tastes just like ‘regular’ rice and not like the kind with spinach (that was the best compliment I could get). Her friend tried it and agreed and continued eating the rest of the meal.

I couldn’t help but laugh as I watched them enjoy the food and each others company. They both were rewarded with a big ice cream sundae with a little bit of ice cream and a lot of fruit.

Try this delicious rice and experiment it with your kids and let me know what they think….

• ½ cup broccoli rabe pesto
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3-4 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt

Heat a wide frying pan and add the olive oil. Add the broccoli rabe and sauté on medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the rice and salt, mix well and bring to boil. Turn the heat down to a medium and cover the pan half way with a lid. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or till bubbles begin to form on the surface. Lower the heat all the way and cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add the baby spinach on top and cover with lid and turn the heat off. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Take the lid off and stir carefully mixing all the wilted baby spinach. Taste for seasonings.