Lake-Harvested Wild Rice, Cranberry, and Kale Pilaf
With its nutty flavor and slightly chewy texture, wild rice is an excellent complement to any protein dish. It is not actual rice but rather the seed of an aquatic grass that grows wild in the northern Great Lakes area of the United States. This ultra-simple side dish uses nutty wild rice with the sweetness of cranberries and kale to complete a dinner that doesn’t get much better!
Bring the wild rice, water, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat and cover to maintain a steady simmer. Cook until the rice is tender and the grain kernels pop open, approximately 15 to 20 minutes for lake-harvested wild rice. *
Soften and rehydrate the cranberries in apple juice until ready to use.
Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and the onions, and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until softened and the onions turn translucent.
Add the cranberries and the kale; sauté for about 5 minutes more.
Add the cooked and rinsed wild rice. Stir into the cranberry, onion, and kale mixture. Salt and pepper to taste; sauté 5 to 6 minutes more.
Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve warm.
KITCHEN NOTES
Make the recipe ahead of time - Just reheat before serving. * 1 cup of uncooked wild rice will yield approximately 3 to 4 cups of cooked rice. The recommended rice-to-water ratio is about 2 to 1, or I’ve found that instead of measuring, I’ll cover the rice with about 1 inch of water before beginning to simmer. To shorten the cooking time, you can cover the rice with a generous amount of water and soak it overnight. After the rice has cooked to the desired doneness, rinse and cool completely before adding it to the recipe.[1] Make quick candied pecans on the stovetop.