Seasonal Vegetable Rice Pilaf

We love making this with the kids, easy to make, seasonal fresh vegetables and you can add your own flavors and tastes depending on the time of the year and what you have available in the fridge or even better from the garden ! The best part is making a cartouche by folding the baking paper up like a paper aeroplane and measuring from the middle of the pan to the outside and then cutting it to make the perfect paper lid.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp	Olive oil
1 whole	Onion
250 g	Medium grain rice (Main)
850 ml	Vegetable stock, Hot
1 Tbsp	Paprika
1 handful	Fresh herbs, Chopped
2 cups	Vegetables, Seasonal Fresh

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and soften the onion for 4 mins. Add the paprika and rice and cook l rice starts to turn white as this locks in the starches and allows each grain to cook evenly
2. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Cover with a cartouche (paper lid) and cook at a gentle bubble, for 12-14 mins. A cartouche is a paper lid that allows the steam to escape and allows even cooking of the rice grains
3. While the rice is cooking grate or dice and slice the seasonal vegetables (grate the pumpkin, dice the tomatoes, slice the zucchinis, cut the corn from the cob etc etc).
4. Remove the rice from the heat, test to ensure that grains are cooked, and then add in your vegetables and fresh herbs, stir well and leave to sit for 2 mins to allow the vegetables to cook from the heat of the rice. Serve in large bowels
5. You can easily make any other version of Rice Pilaf by adding your own proteins and corresponding stocks - cwith chicken stock, bacon with ham stock, fish with fish stock etc etc