Simple Recipes with Wild Rice

Bev Bennett

Simple Recipes with Wild Rice Recipe
Wild Rice and Ham Salad Recipe

When you're cooking for two, your goal is to have enough food for a meal without leftovers.

However, you may want a different strategy for preparing whole grains, such as brown rice or barley.

These are long-cooking grains and you don't save any time when you prepare a smaller amount. In fact, since many whole grains freeze well, it pays to make extras so you have instant grains for a second meal.

For example, wild rice, which is so delicious, versatile and popular during the holiday season, deserves the big-batch solution.

One cup, when cooked, will yield enough for two or three recipes. What you don't use immediately can be refrigerated in a covered container up to one week or frozen for several months.

Turn your stash of wild rice into soup, pancakes or an almost instant main-course salad. Here are two recipes for two to get you started.

Cooking Wild Rice

Place a cup of wild rice in a fine mesh sieve. Hold under cold running water for 1 minute to rinse.

Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium-size pot. Add wild rice. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until tender but chewy, if you're going to use the rice in a soup recipe. Simmer a few minutes longer if you're using the wild rice as a side dish or salad.

When the rice is done, drain off the water. One cup of raw wild rice yields about three cups cooked.

Wild Rice and Turkey Soup Recipe

Makes 2 servings.

Preparation time: 10 minutes (not including rice cooking)

Cooking time: 50 minutes

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1/4 teaspoon dried, crushed thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon flour

2 tablespoons dry sherry, optional

21/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup diced cooked turkey

1 cup cooked wild rice

1/4 cup half-and-half

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and mushrooms. Stir in thyme, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour until absorbed. Pour in sherry or 1/4 cup chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits. Add remaining broth, turkey and wild rice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour half-and-half into a small bowl. Stir in about 1/2 cup soup to warm up. Pour back into pot.

Each serving has: 350 calories; 13 grams total fat; 31 grams protein; 26 grams carbohydrates; 80 milligrams cholesterol; 1063 milligrams sodium and 3 grams dietary fiber.

Wild Rice and Ham Salad

Makes 2 servings.

Preparation time: 15 minutes (not including rice cooking)

Salad:

1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice

1 large celery rib, chopped

3 ounces diced ham

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped raw pecans

1/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries

1 scallion, chopped

Dressing:

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 1/2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

For the salad, combine rice, celery, ham, pecans, cranberries and scallions in a salad bowl. Toss gently but well.

For the dressing, combine orange juice, vinegar, oil, salt, curry powder and pepper in a cup. Stir well. Pour over salad. Toss gently but well.

Each serving has: 350 calories; 13.5 grams total fat; 13.75 grams protein; 44 grams carbohydrates; 23.5 milligrams cholesterol; 706 milligrams sodium and 5.5 grams dietary fiber.

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Simple Recipes with Wild Rice - Recipe

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