Vegetarian Dirty Rice

Vegetarian Dirty Rice

Dirty Rice was one of my favourite things to order at the Bojangles Restaurant growing up. Eggplant and sunflower seeds replace chicken livers for a seamless trasition to vegetarian. This is a great meal, especially if enhanced with some GF chile beans.

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cus Better Batter Gluten Free Flo, or a really good cup-for-cup gf flourur

1 cup minced onions

1 pound eggplant AND 1/2 pound hulled sunflower seeds, chopped into a very slightly chunky paste (use a food processor)

1/3 c celery, minced

1/2 c finely minced parsley

1/2 cup diced green pepper

1 clove garlic, minced or crushed

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

4 1/2 c vegetable stock

2 c long grained rice

Cook the rice in the stock.

IN a large pot, heat the oil and simmer the flour in it till the flour thickens. Add the onions and saute for several minutes. Add the eggplant pate and saute for several minutes. Add the celery, parsley, and garlic and saute for a minute or two, then add the salt, pepper, and cayenne and cook for another 3 minutes. Mix the cooked eggplant mixture into the cooked rice. Put in a 350 degree oven and allow flavours to meld for 20 minutes, then serve warm.

Optional, add 2 cans of GF chile beans for a full meal.