Childhood Food Memories

I grew up as a vegetarian all the way till about age 12 or so. Being a vegetarian used to be difficult, to find dishes when you went out that didn't have some sort of meat base...so we ate at home most of the time. I remember lots of good foods coming out of our kitchen, but there are a few that really stuck with me and a rice casserole dish is one of them. It's not the greatest looking for food pictures but it tastes SO good...and that's all that really matters right? I've changed this recipe a tad from when my mama made it. She used cauliflower, but I had broccoflower in my fridge and I believe she used cheddar cheese where I used smoked gouda.



EQUIPMENT
Pot with lid
Saute Pan
Knife
Cutting board
Casserole (or baking dish)



INGREDIENTS
Rice (I like Basmati)
Olive Oil
Unsalted Butter
Head of Broccoflower, broken down and chopped
Medium Onion, chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, rough chop
lb (or so) of Mushrooms (Cremini or Button are best), sliced
Fresh Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper
Gouda Cheese
Dried Oregano


Cook your rice according to the directions. *Make sure you rinse the rice first, it will remove some of the starch and prevent sticky rice. Since you aren't making sushi, sticky rice is not wanted here.

In medium saute pan melt butter and olive oil together. Add sliced mushrooms and a pinch of salt, when mushrooms are halfway cooked add your garlic and a squeeze of lemon juice. Remove mixture to a bowl and set aside.

In the same pan you cooked the mushrooms in, add some butter and toss in your broccoflower with some salt, pepper and dried oregano. You can add a little chile powder if you want a little kick to the dish as well. Cook until just about tender. Remove to bowl with mushrooms.

Mix the rice, veggies and cheese together and spread in a casserole or baking dish. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or so, until the cheese is melted and everything is warmed through and the flavors are mingling.





Comer!