DINNER: KALE CAULIFLOWER & BROWN RICE GRATIN

So here's a warm and nourishing dish full of goodness and Kale! Its a dish that has evolved from this Smitten Kitchen recipe. It's quite a flexible dish, we add mushrooms sometimes, silverbeet instead of kale (shh don't tell Kate), plus I use whatever cheese I have in the fridge at the time (lemon zest, mint and ricotta are a great combo) Basically you can use the brown rice and cauliflower part as a base and build from there. It's all about creating something to warm the soul isn't it?

KALE CAULIFLOWER AND BROWN RICE GRATIN

This serves an army! Well a really exclusive army of 8 people. So you will be able to enjoy leftovers or halve the recipe if you like.

2 cups of brown rice

Half a bunch of Kale, washed and leaves stripped off stalks

Half head of cauliflower

Olive oil

1 onion, sliced thinly 

1-2 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed.

Lemon zest

Large handful of grated Parmesan 

A block of Feta Cheese, crumbled

Breadcrumbs or as I used L.S.A 

Parsley, roughly chopped.

I cook this in a cast iron pot so I can pop it in the oven without having to use another dish. If you don't have one just use a deep frying pan or saucepan then transfer the mixture to an oven proof dish.

Preheat oven to 180 deg C

Cook the brown rice using whatever method you prefer. (You can do this a few hours ahead of time, I usually cook the rice in the morning when making breakfast.)

In a large cast iron pot heat a few glugs of olive oil and add the onions, stirring occasionally cook the onions for about 15 minutes till they are golden and starting to caramelise.

While the onions are cooking put the kale leaves into a large saucepan and fill halfway with water. Bring to the boil and with the lid on blanch for about 2-3 minutes.

Drain and transfer the kale to a food processor and shjooz till finely chopped- you don't want a purée!

Scrape the kale back into the saucepan and set aside.

Break the cauliflower into large florets and shjooz in the food processor until it looks like rice.

Add the cauliflower, thyme and lemon zest to the pot of onions.

Cook for about 5 minutes then turn off heat and add the kale.

Sprinkle two thirds of both the Feta and Parmesan and the parsley over the mixture and stir to combine.

Pour the stock into the pot and top with breadcrumbs/L.S.A and the remaining Fetta and Parmesan.

Bake in oven for about 30 minutes until brown on top.