Instructions: - - - - 1 1/2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (up to 2 tbsp) 2 cloves garlic (up to 3 cloves) - minced 1 leek, cleaned and trimmed - finely chopped 1/4 cup fennel - thinly sliced OR celery - thinly sliced 3 cups cooked white rice (up to 4 c) 1 tomato - seeded and diced 1/4 cup chickpeas 2 tablespoons pine nuts - lightly toasted 8 black olives (pref oil-cured) 3 dried tomatoes - cut in thin slices 1 bunch basil - stemmed

* Soak saffron in 1 tabelspoon water or Basic Vegetable Stock for 15 minutes

For the sauce, combine the lemon juice, tomato paste, saffron, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add plenty of salt and pepper.

The mixture should be highly seasoned.

Just before serving, heat a wok or large non-stick frying pan over a high flame. Swirl in the oil. Add the garlic and leek and stir fry for 15 seconds, or until fragrant but not brown. Add the fennel and stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the fennel is tender.

Stir in the rice, tomato, chickpeas, pine nuts, olives, and dried tomatoes, and most of the basil. Stir fry for 2 minutes, or until the ingredients are thoroughly heated. Stir in the sauce and cook for thirty seconds. Correct the seasoning, adding salt or lemon juice to taste. Decorate the rice with the remaining basil leaves and serve at once.

Serves 6 as a side dish or 4 as a
main course.

02.4124 8

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