Tomato Rice Cubes with Almond Tomato Sauce and Courgette Spaghetti

1602 Tomato Rice Cubes-1493

Tic Tac Toe Dinner!

This is a fun dish that can be served together with many different foods.
Go easy on the smoked paprika powder since it can be quite over powering.
Any vegetable you’d like to chop up and include is fine.
I’ve chosen red and white rice since they present themselves so nicely but you may also use quinoa or other grains.
Can be prepared ahead of time and heated in the oven just before serving.

Serves 8

200 ml red rice
Water to boil the rice in
200 ml white rice
Water to boil the rice in
Onion, finely chopped
Salt
Black pepper
½ tsp smoked paprika
50 g Parmesan cheese
3-4 tbsp lemon juice
4 medium sized tomato

1. Cut the tomatoes into fine strips and then chop them into a tomato concasse. Set aside.
2. Boil the rice according the manufacturers specification. Add some salt, when almost done, add some pepper and smoked paprika powder.
3. Fry the onion in a pan, when done, add to the rice.
4. When the rice is ready, remove from the heat and add cheese and lemon juice.
5. Let cool slightly.
6. Stir in the tomato concasse.
7. Using a mold (I use Japanese rice molds) create small rice cubes.
If you save for later, then please refrigerate at this point. If not, then place the cubes on a baking sheet and bake in oven for 5-6 minutes, until piping hot.
Serve the rice cubes with Courgette Spaghetti and Tomato Almond sauce (see below). Chorizo sausage also goes very well with this dish.

Tomato Almond Sauce
Super quick and very rich and tasty tomato sauce.

1 can of chopped tomatoes – 400 g
50 g ground almonds
1 small red chili
1 small garlic clove
300 g (including the oil) marinated roasted red pepper
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt

1. Combine all ingredients except the almonds in a blender. Blend well.
2. Pour into a saucepan and simmer a few minutes.
3. Remove from heat and add the ground almonds.

Aubergine Parmigiana

160106 Parmigiana Starter-0946

A good Parmigiana should be made with a great roasted tomato sauce and lots of cheese! This one is a favourite!

Serves 6
3 medium aubergines, sliced lengthwise about 1 cm thick
Olive oil
400 ml tomato sauce
4 eggs
80 g parmesan cheese, grated
200 g mozzarella, thinly sliced
Fresh basil
Salt and pepper
Tomato Sauce:
1 red pepper, cut into pieces
4 (0.5 kilo) large tomatoes, cut into pieces
1 red onion, cut into 6-8 pieces
1 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
5 basil leaves, shredded
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Spinach leaves
 

  1. Oven at 200 C
  2. Place all vegetables for the tomato sauce on an oven tray, sprinkle the garlic, vinegar and oil on top. Roast 30 minutes. When done (soft and slightly charred), let cool, place in blender and mix until semi-smooth.
  3. Sauté the aubergine slices in oil over high heat. Place on paper towels to absorb some of the oil.
  4. Cover the bottom of a casserole dish with ½ of the tomatoe sauce
  5. Whisk one egg and pour on top
  6. Place a layer of aubergines and sprinkle some salt on top
  7. Pour remaining sauce on the aubergines
  8. Spread ½ of the parmesan cheese on the sauce and all of the mozzarella
  9. Put some of the basil on the mozzarella
  10. Layer the remaining aubergines on top
  11. Spread the remaining parmesan on the aubergines
  12. Whisk 3 eggs and pour on top
  13. Place some basil leaves on the dish and place in the oven. Bake 20 minutes.
  14. Serve on a bed of spinach leaves, with some ham or with some gluten free bread.