Baked Minty Rice With Feta And Pomegranate Relish Recipes

Steps:

• Pomegranate relish:
• Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 5-8 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Increase oven temperature to 450°F.
• Toss walnuts, pomegranate seeds, olives, oil, mint, parsley, pomegranate molasses, and garlic in a medium bowl to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
• Rice and assembly:
• Combine rice, butter, and salt in a 13x9" baking dish, then pour in a scant 3 1/2 cups water; top with mint sprigs. Cover tightly with foil and bake until rice is tender and water is absorbed, 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven; pluck out mint. Fluff rice with a fork.
• Heat broiler. Arrange feta over rice. Broil until rice around edges of pan is browned and crisp and feta is starting to brown, 8-10 minutes. Spoon pomegranate relish over.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Melt half of butter in heavy saucepan and cook the onion and garlic, stirring, until onion is translucent. Add rice and stir briefly over low heat until grains are coated with butter.
• Stir in broth, making sure there are no lumps in rice. Add parsley, thyme and bay leaf. Cover with a close-fitting lid and place in oven.
• Bake exactly 17 minutes. Remove cover and discard the parsley, thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Using a two-pronged fork, stir in remaining butter and serve.