Wild rice and brown rice are good companions in a pilaf: first, because they have similar chewy textures, but second because they both take about the same amount of time to cook. A third benefit is that using a mixture stretches the expensive wild rice with a less expensive grain. If you have pumpkin carving in your Halloween plans, save the seeds to use here. This recipe is a good source of beta carotene, magnesium, vitamin B6, and zinc.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
- ¾ cup wild rice (4 ounces)
- ½ cup brown rice
- 2 cups water
- 1½ cups unsalted broth (vegetable or chicken)
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- ¼ cup dried currants
- In a medium nonstick saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft, about 7 minutes.
- Add the wild rice and brown rice, stirring to combine. Stir in the water, broth, thyme, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the rices are tender, about 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small ungreased skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds over low heat until fragrant and they begin to pop in the pan, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the seeds onto a plate to prevent them from burning.
- Stir the toasted pumpkin seeds and currants into the pilaf before serving.
Makes 6 servings; per serving: 230 calories, 7g total fat (1.2g saturated), 3g dietary fiber, 38g carbohydrate, 7g protein, 200mg sodium
You can enhance the flavor of both seeds and nuts by toasting them before adding them to dishes. There are several ways to do this:
Skillet. Toast the seeds or nuts in an ungreased skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Stir them and keep an eye on them, because they can turn from golden to burned very quickly. Depending on how many you are toasting at once, this can take from 1 or 2 minutes to 5 minutes. Once they are lightly toasted, immediately transfer them to a plate so the heat from the skillet will not keep cooking them. Pumpkin seeds have a very specific visual test for doneness: They will begin to pop and jump in the pan.
Oven. Place the seeds or nuts in a baking pan, in a single layer, and toast them in a 350°F oven for about 7 minutes. Keep an eye on them, checking them at 5 minutes and stirring them around. Remove them from the hot pan immediately to keep them from burning.
Toaster oven. This method is good for a small amount of seeds or nuts. Place them in the toaster oven tray and toast at 350°F. Because a toaster oven is small, seeds and nuts will toast much more quickly than in a standard oven, so keep an eye on them. It may take only 1 or 2 minutes. Remove them from the oven as soon as they are done and transfer them to a plate to stop the cooking.
From The Wellness Kitchen
