Fennel Rice or Bulgur

Like the other Greek vegetable and rice dishes I am posting this week, you can play around with different types of rice or use bulgur for this dish. The cooking time is a little longer than the usual 15 minutes for the rice, and the amount of liquid used is also a bit more than the 1 to 2 ratio I usually use. That is because, according to Diane Kochilas, whose recipes from Ikaria are the inspiration for this week’s Recipes for Health, Ikarians (and Greeks in general) like their rice to be very soft, at least in these comforting Lenten dishes.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound fennel (2 medium bulbs), trimmed, cored and diced small
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup long grain rice, such as basmati, rinsed, or coarse bulgur
• 2 ½ cups water
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
• Freshly ground pepper

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

    227 calories; 9 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 80 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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Serves 6

Preparation

1. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a deep, lidded skillet or a wide, lidded saucepan. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in fennel, add a generous pinch of salt, and cook, stirring often, until fennel has wilted and softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in rice or bulgur and stir to coat with olive oil.
2. Add water, salt, pepper, parsley and dill and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, until rice or bulgur is soft and liquid absorbed. Remove from heat, uncover and place a towel across the top of the pan. Return lid and let sit for 10 minutes. Serve hot, with the remaining olive oil drizzled over the top.

• Advance preparation: You can make this a day ahead and reheat in a pan, in a medium oven or in the microwave. It will keep for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator.

About 1 hour