A quick and easy side dish packed with herbs, tomatoes and deliciously creamy rice.

There’s nothing like fresh herbs. They can pump up the flavour of any dish without adding fat, calories, or salt. (Healthy eaters of the world rejoice!) They’re the ace up my sleeve for this simple rice dish, catapulting Tomato Herb Rice to an amazingly delicious level.

I love rice. From Apple Cinnamon Rice to Skinny Salmon “Fried” Rice, there are so many ways to enjoy this versatile grain. The combination of tomatoes, spinach, fresh basil and parsley make Tomato Herb Rice one amazing rice dish. When you add low fat cottage cheese to the mix, it adds creaminess, without excess fat. There are no clumps of cottage cheese in this recipe. A hand blender (or countertop blender) purées it out, leaving a perfectly spiced, creamy tomato sauce for the rice.

This Italian inspired rice perfectly complements fish, chicken, or steak. You can enjoy it on its own or as a simple lunch. No matter how you eat it, Tomato Herb Rice tastes like a perfect bite of fresh flavours. Buon appetito!

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[recipe]

[recipe title=”Tomato Herb Rice” servings=”4-5″ time=”25 – 30 minutes” difficulty=”Easy” print=”false”]

Enjoy Tomato Herb Rice with fish, chicken, steak or even on its own. It makes a perfect side dish, snack, or light lunch.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups brown rice, cooked
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups spinach, fresh
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1 teaspoon oregano, dried
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to package directions. Set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, over medium heat sauté onions and garlic in olive oil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender.
3. Stir in tomatoes, basil, parsley, oregano, and sugar. Heat to boil and then reduce to simmer. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cottage cheese.
4. With an immersion blender, carefully puree pasta sauce.
5. Stir in corn starch. Wait 1 to 2 minutes for sauce to thicken.
6. Add spinach and rice. Mix well to combine.
7. Plate and enjoy!

[/recipe]

If you love Italian inspired rice, you may also enjoy Simple Garlic Marinara Pasta

Creamy Avocado Pasta

Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Tomato Carrot Pasta Sauce

Have you tried Tomato Herb Rice? What’s your favourite way to prepare rice?