In our house, carbs are a bit of a battle ground. (Not for me, I adore them all.) We have one resident who only eats fried or white rice (Chinese take-out style, very healthy), one resident who hates pasta with anything but butter, one resident who won't do potatoes except for baked, and the list goes on. My inner cook wants to say "Whatever, if they are hungry, they'll eat what I cook." There are times, however, when I just can't sit through another meal where the beautiful things on our table are picked at (by the teenagers) and then junk food is consumed at an alarming rate all night.
The compromise? Wild rice. Not a blend (brown rice is objected to by several constituents, even when in disguise), but just the actual wild rice. It should be noted that wild rice isn't rice at all, but a variety of grass seed. Regardless, it's very healthy (full of fiber!) and everyone whom I regularly cook for enjoys it. There are two ways to prepare it that are my favorite. I take a short cut and buy the Trader Joe's pre-cooked pouch. It serves four hungry people and is ready to go in minutes. I have also cooked it from it's dry state in my rice cooker, which works just fine but takes awhile. Feel free to do either.
Wild Rice Provencal
1 pouch precooked Wild Rice (I like Trader Joe's brand)
3 T olive oil
1/2 c. orange juice
3 T minced onion
1 clove minced garlic
fresh parsley (to taste, added at the end)
1/2 c dried tart cherries OR cranberries
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/2 T dried Herbes de Provence
1/2 T dried Herbes de Provence
salt
pepper
In a sauce pan, sautee onion on medium heat until it sweats (about 3 minutes), then add garlic. After another minute, add (cooked) wild rice and all ingredients except for parsley. Break up the rice with a wooden spoon and cover. Cook for 5-10 minutes, taking lid off if more moisture needs to evaporate. It can stay in the pan covered for up to 30 minutes until the rest of dinner is ready.Wild Rice with Vegetables
1 pouch precooked Wild Rice (I like trader Joe's brand)
3 T olive oil
3 T white wine or champagne vinegar
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped carrot
1/2 c. chopped celery
1 clove minced garlic
fresh thyme and rosemary, chopped (to taste, added at the end)
Prepare as above. Cheers!
Prepare as above. Cheers!
