Wild Rice Salad (Recipe)

I try to balance my love of meat and cheese with some healthier options. At least 70% of the time, I'll try to eat foods that are easier on the arteries and internal organs. That being said, I experimented with rice salad and came up with this recipe that I thought was tasty, hearty and filling as a small meal or a side. The tastes and textures vary with fresh, chewy, soft, savory, sweet, nutty and tangy. The different serving options kept it interesting as well, even after four days of leftovers.


Here's what you'll need:

For the rice:
1 cup wild rice
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. vegetable oil (such as safflower, canola, etc.)
2 cups water or stock

For the additions:
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 portobello mushroom, diced
1 clove garlic, minced or 1 tsp. pre-minced garlic
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
1/8 cup whiskey
1/2 cup fresh or frozen English peas (raw)
1/2 cup fresh cut or frozen corn (raw)
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped with stems

For the dressing:
Juice from 1 lemon
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. honey mustard or equal parts honey and dijon mustard
1/4 cup avocado oil or olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste (about 1 tsp. each)

Here's what you'll do:
- In a medium saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat, add 1 tbsp. oil.
- Once the oil is shimmering, add the diced onions and saute for about 3 minutes, until it starts to turn opaque.
- Add the diced mushrooms and saute for about 2 minutes, until wilted.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, dijon mustard and whiskey.
- Stir together and let cook for about 2 minutes until the alcohol burns off.
- Once all the veggies are soft and a bit caramelized, turn the heat off, remove from the pan into a bowl and set aside.
- In a larger pot or cast iron dutch oven over medium heat, add the other 1 tbsp. oil and butter.
- Once the butter has melted, add the wild rice and saute, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes until it smells nutty and/or the rice starts to pop.
- Add the water, cover quickly as the water will instantly boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook as directed on rice package, usually about 45 minutes.
- Once the time is up, turn the heat off and let the rice steep in the pan with the lid on for an additional 10 minutes.
- Once the rice is fully done, fluff with a fork and scoop out into a large bowl.
- Add the peas and corn to the hot rice and mix together to let the heat from the rice gently cook the raw veggies. Let cool for a few minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients, pour over the rice mixture, add the onion/mushroom mixture, carrot and cilantro and toss to fully combine.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serving options:
This is a very versatile dish that can be served warm or cold. It can be served as a side with baked chicken breast, pork chop or fish. This can also be topped with cooked shrimp, tossed with tofu or added to a bed of fresh greens and eaten as a salad topping with added Parmesan cheese. If it's a bit too hearty, it can be made less so, by adding some cooked brown or white rice; just be sure to add more dressing to properly moisten every grain.
Enjoy!