Holiday Wild Rice with Pomegranate

The different colors and texture in wild rice make it a perfect side for holidays and special events. Adding pomegranate and pine nuts makes this dish visually delightful and a feast for the palate.

Beautiful Healthy Holiday Side Dish
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Beautiful Healthy Holiday Side Dish
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Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. In a saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and sauté about 5 minutes. Add wild rice and sauté another 3 – 4 minutes.
  2. Pour in broth, bring to a boil. Immediately cover and reduce heat.
  3. Simmer 40 – 45 minutes until rice is cooked.
  4. Mix in chopped parsley, half of pomegranate, and half of pine nuts.
  5. Place in serving bowl and sprinkle remaining pomegranate and pine nuts on top
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Wild Rice, Sausage and Leek Stuffing with Walnuts

This is my most favorite stuffing because of its luscious flavors and texture. It’s not only delicious, it is also a healthy dish given the nutrients in whole grains combined with walnuts and leeks.

Added to which, gluten-free members of the family can also enjoy it. And you can make it vegan by omitting the sausage.

[su_expanding_quote_book source_author=”Marge Wittenberg” source_title=”The Essential Good Food Guide” full_quote=”When it comes to nutrition, the clear winners (in the rice family) are the whole grain varieties, easily distinguished by their medium to dark colors including brown, red, purple, black. With only its inedible hull removed, whole grain rice is a good source of fiber, vitamin E and trace minerals.” short_quote=”When it comes to nutrition, the clear winners (in the rice family) are the whole grain varieties”]

This is part of the Thanksgiving 2016 Menu and goes with a 14 – 16 pound turkey.

Variations

  1. Add 2 cups washed and chopped mushrooms when cooking leeks
  2. Use 4 cups thinly sliced fennel instead of leeks
  3. Use 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary instead of thyme
Wild Rice Sausage and Leek Stuffing with Walnuts
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Servings
12 servings
Servings
12 servings
Wild Rice Sausage and Leek Stuffing with Walnuts
Print Recipe
Servings
12 servings
Servings
12 servings
Ingredients
Adjust servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan toast wild rice over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.
  2. Add broth and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to simmer, cover and cook 45 minutes until rice is tender.
  3. While the rice is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet and cook turkey sausage, breaking up with a spoon and stirring occasionally until it turns brown.
  4. Add leeks, celery and thyme and cook over medium heat. If it is too dry, add 1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil; cook until leeks and celery are tender. Remove from heat.
  5. Mix wild rice with vegetables, parsley and chopped walnuts.
  6. Bake Stuffing in Turkey: Fill neck and main cavities of turkey with stuffing. Spoon remaining stuffing into a buttered baking dish. Cover with foil and bake about 25 minutes. Uncover stuffing and bake until the top is golden and it is crisp around the edges, about 15 minutes. OR
  7. Bake Stuffing in Baking Dish Only: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Place stuffing to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake until heated through, about 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is slightly crisp and golden, about 20 minutes longer.
Recipe Notes

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A Hearty Wild Rice Dish

I like the texture and colors of a wild rice blend, but also use brown rice instead.

The chicken broth enhances the flavor (and nutrients); use vegetable broth instead for vegan guests, or even simply use water.

As a side dish it also pairs nicely with grilled chicken, broiled fish brushed with extra-virgin olive oil and crushed garlic, or roasted pork tenderloin.

It is even robust and nutritious enough to be a main entrée, try one of the below variations. It easily dresses up for guests served on a bed of spinach or baby kale tossed in lime vinaigrette. Serve it with crusty bread with a pesto dip. And for dessert, the Mango Yogurt Mousse.

Variations:

  1. Add 1 chopped avocado, 1 chopped mango and 1/2 cup chopped parsley
  2. Add a 1 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes and 1/2 cup chopped basil
  3. Add 1 cup of black beans, and 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro.
  4. Add 1 chopped cucumber and 1/2 cup chopped mint
Wild Rice, Quinoa and Corn
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Servings
8
Servings
8
Wild Rice, Quinoa and Corn
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Servings
8
Servings
8
Ingredients
Adjust servings:
Units:
Instructions
  1. Place the wild rice in a saucepan and toast it over medium heat until the translucent grains of the white rice look white. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to simmer and cook approximately 45 minutes or until rice is tender.
  2. In another saucepan, toast the quinoa. When it begins to make little popping sounds, add the water, bring it to a boil. Immediately turn heat down to simmer and cover the quinoa. Cook 25 minutes. Do NOT salt the quinoa until after it cooks or the seeds (technically they are seeds rather than grains) will not pop open.
  3. Mix the wild rice with the quinoa, add the corn and green onion and mix.
  4. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with 1–2 tablespoons olive oil and mix one more time.
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