Go Wild with Rice

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Wild Rice with Gingered Squash
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 medium kabocha or butternut squash (about 2 pounds)
Salt to taste
1- to 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped (1/8 to 1/4 cup)
2 to 3 teaspoons honey
2 cups cooked wild rice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest

Method

If using kabocha squash, there is no need to peel it. Pierce the squash in five or six places with a fork. Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Let the squash sit undisturbed in the microwave for 5 minutes. Slice the squash in half through the stem end and remove the seeds. Chop the squash into 2-inch chunks. If using butternut squash, omit the microwave step. Just peel, seed, and cut it into chunks.

Pour 1 cup of water into a large, heavy saucepan. Add the salt and bring to a boil. Stir in half of the ginger. Add the squash and distribute the remaining ginger on top. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until the squash is tender, 5 to 8 minutes (or about 12 minutes if you haven't microwaved it first). Check every few minutes and add boiling water, if needed, to maintain the water level.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the squash to a serving platter, and tent it with foil. Stir 2 teaspoons of the honey into the cooking liquid, and boil over high heat until reduced and slightly syrupy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the wild rice, butter, and orange zest, plus more honey, if desired. Lower the heat and simmer for another minute. Pour the mixture over the squash and serve immediately.

Wild Rice Medley

Ingredients

3/4 cup wild rice
3/4 cup short-grain brown rice
1/4 cup red or beige quinoa
1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon hazelnut or olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

Bring 14 cups (3-1/2 quarts) of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the wild rice and boil over high heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat slightly. Stir in the brown rice and continue boiling uncovered for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the grains from sticking to the bottom of the pot. At this point, if any of the wild rice has split open, stir in the quinoa. Otherwise wait until that point to add the quinoa. Cook until all of the grains are tender, usually 10 to 12 minutes longer. Drain. Return the grains to the hot pot, cover, and let sit.

To serve, transfer the hot grains to a bowl. Toss in the hazelnuts and hazelnut oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Image courtesy of California Wild Rice Advisory Board

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