Fruit and Nut Pilaf

Fruit & Nut Pilaf - MS Word document for downloading

I must remember this recipe after Christmas, as a way of using up the leftover meat. It’s a meal in itself. You can vary the dried fruits you use, according to the meat. Fruit and Nut Pilaf is delicious without meat, in which case, this quantity would probably serve 4. Don’t substitute oil for the butter. The butter is essential for the flavour, unless you are going to be very generous with the seasoning and/or herbs.

Serves 6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes, if you need to cook the rice

This is turning out to be quite a week! No time for lunch again today and it was duty day as well, so I hadn’t managed a coffee at morning break! Both staff are back, I am delighted to say, so I thought things might be getting easier, but not just yet. A kind colleague clearly saw that I was “wilting” as I was going to my afternoon class and offered me some chocolate. Just what I needed! That and a bottle of water kept me going!

After school, another meeting, so I was late going to the supermarket and getting home. I definitely needed a quick to prepare meal this evening! I put the rice onto cook before I started to unpack the shopping. The apricots and sultanas soaked in boiling water for ten minutes, while the onion cooked. Lovely black grapes were on special offer in the supermarket again, so they made a lovely quick pudding.

Ingredients and Shopping List.

• 75g (3oz) sultanas
• 175g (6oz) dried fruits (apricots, apples, pears, prunes etc)
• 1 tablespoon sweet sherry (optional)
• 75g (3oz) butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 250g (8oz) long grain rice, cooked
• 250g (8oz) or more of cooked chopped chicken, lamb, pork, turkey etc
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• salt and pepper
• 50g (2oz) flaked almonds
• parsley to garnish.

Method.

1. Put the sultanas and dried fruit in a bowl, sprinkle with sherry and cover with water.
2. Allow to soak for at least 4 hours, or overnight, if possible.
3. Drain, then chop the larger fruits.
4. Melt the butter in the frying pan over gentle heat.
5. Add the onion and fry until softened, but not brown.
6. Stir in the rice and allspice.
7. Add the salt and pepper to taste and mix well.
8. Fold in the meat, fruit and almonds and heat through, stirring all the time.

Serve, adding chopped parsley as a garnish.

Liz Milton