Leek and Tomatoes Rice Pilaf

Yes, I am finally back home and I missed all of you! I am sorry it took me so long to get back, but you know what is like to be on vacation and to take advantage of lazy days. But now that's all behind me and I'm back on track, including with some cooking (in spite of the scorching hot days). Now, precisely because of this heat wave, I have for you a very easy and fast recipe that tastes absolutely great - my daughter made sure we had leftovers for dinner, because, she said, it tasted so good! So, this is what we need for 4 servings:

- 2 lb leeks

- 1 cup rice

- 1 cup tomato puree

- 1 stick butter (can be replaced with olive oil)

- salt and pepper to taste

- 1 bunch parsley or dill (or a combination of both, depending on your taste, I used parsley)

Clean and wash the leek and slice it (white and light green part only), then saute it in half of the butter until softened. At the same time, in another pot, saute the rice for 2-3 minutes in the rest of the butter, stirring continuously.

Add the tomato puree over the rice, add salt and pepper to taste

add the softened leek and 2.5 cups of water (can be substituted for chicken or vegetable stock)

stir well, bring it to a boil, then cover and let it boil on low heat until the rice is done, without being mushy (about 15 minutes - taste it for doneness). The dish should have a little sauce, so don't let it reduce completely. When finished, sprinkle it with the dill/parsley and serve. Enjoy!