Fall Black Rice Salad

Less than 2 weeks until Thanksgiving — though it feels like March was yesterday. In the spirit of the season, I thought I’d use this post to remind myself (and hopefully others!) of the positives. This week I’m thankful for:

• How so many people showed up and voted for change and inclusivity in the US this month

• Snow, which has helped combat Colorado’s wildfires, and reminded me that fall is really here, even though this year has gone by in the blur

• Fall cooking and baking. Favorites this week, were: this wild rice salad, tahini rice crispy recipe from Bon Appetit, quiche, Massaman coconut curry with tofu, sourdough focaccia, and miso braised greens. Next week I’d like to make cranberry hand pies and a pear coffee cake!

• The upcoming holiday break — while it certainly won’t be a “normal” Thanksgiving, it will be nice to have a break and unplug

Fall Black Rice Salad

Published October 6, 2020 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 6   |    Active Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil

1 small sweet onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup black wild rice, such as Forbidden Rice (Wild rice blends will also work well)

2 cups chicken broth, or more as indicated on package (If using an Instant Pot to cook the rice, reduce to 1-1/4 cup broth)

3 slices bacon, cooked

1 apple, such as Sweet Tango or Honeycrisp

1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans

2 cups baby arugula

Salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil in the bottom of a sauce pan (or Instant Pot on Sauté setting). Sauté onions and garlic until transparent.
2. Add rice to pot, along with broth. Cover, and cook according to instructions on the rice packet. (If using an Instant Pot, set to Multigrain setting for 14 minutes with the vent in the sealed position. Natural release for 10 minutes.)
3. Chop the bacon into 1/2-inch pieces. Core the apple, and dice. When the rice has cooled, add bacon, apple, pecans and arugula. Toss, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Wild Rice Salad with Pomegranate & Satsuma Mandarins

Two delicious fruits are currently in season: Pomegranates and Satsuma Oranges.

When I was a kid my dad would buy pomegranate as soon as it appeared in stores. Back then the fruit wasn’t “cool” and no one was talking about how it was a good source of antioxidants. In fact, I would take it to school for lunch and other kids would ask, “What is that?” (I got that a lot — I always had the most “interesting” brown bag lunches.) I’ve adopted my dad’s habit, and hop on pomegranate season as soon as the fruits look bright and red and juicy. I put them in salads (like this one with kale and delicata squash or this one with brussels sprouts) and add the juice to smoothies. My favorite is my dad’s Pomegranate Sorbet (!), but this wild rice salad is a healthier way to enjoy the flavor.

Citrus and pomegranate together sing winter to me — they are a pop of fresh in an otherwise dull season, little gems in this wild rice salad.

Wild rice, by the way, is another key here. It’s nuttier than white rice and gives this salad great texture and flavor. Either use leftover rice or cook the rice ahead of time. You can do this in a pressure cooker by placing 1 cup water and 1 cup wild rice in the pot and setting it to High Pressure for 28 minutes, and then allowing the pressure to release naturally.

The whole thing is tossed with arugula (which is why it can be called a salad 😏). The bitterness of the greens are a good balance to the sweetness of the fruit and nuts. Add toasted pecans on top of that, and every bite is a combo of nutty and fresh and savory and sweet.

Wild Rice Salad with Pomegranate & Satsuma Mandarins

Published January 10, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 6   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

3-4 cups baby arugula

2 cups cooked and cooled wild rice (leftover rice does great!)

3-4 Satsuma Mandarins, peeled

1/2 cup pomegranate perils 

3/4 cups toasted pecans

Salt & pepper to taste

For the vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Juice from 1 lemon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon honey 

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Make the vinaigrette: Add all ingredients for the vinaigrette to a jar. Close jar and shake to combine.
2. Assemble salad: In a large salad bowl, combine arugula, wild rice, mandarins, pomegranate perils, and toasted pecans.
3. Drizzle vinaigrette over rice salad to taste, adding additional salt & pepper to your preferences. Toss and serve.