Wild Rice And Roasted Vegetable Salad With Sherry Thyme Vinaigrette Food

ROASTED VEGGIE & WILD RICE SALAD (SERVE WARM OR COLD)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar or another container with a tight-fitting lid, and shake well to emulsify. The dressing may be prepared several days in advance and refrigerated. Return to room temperature and shake well before using. (See tip below.) In a large mixing bowl, toss the chopped sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil until evenly coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. (Tip: If you start with a bowl large enough to toss all of the salad ingredients, you can use one bowl throughout the entire process.) Spread the sweet potatoes in an even layer on a large greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, and then remove from the oven and toss the potatoes for even cooking. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, add the broccoli to the same mixing bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Once the sweet potatoes have been tossed, gently push them to one side of the baking sheet, and spread the broccoli in an even layer on the other side. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and cooked through, and the broccoli is crisp-tender. Remove from the oven, and transfer the sweet potatoes and broccoli to a large mixing bowl. Add the kale, cooked rice, cranberries, pecans, feta, and vinaigrette. Toss to thoroughly combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, or cover and refrigerate for 3-5 days.

WILD RICE SALAD

Steps:

• Place the wild rice in a medium pot with 4 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for 50 to 60 minutes, until the rice is very tender. Drain well and place the rice back in the pot. Cover and allow to steam for 10 minutes. While the rice is still warm, place it in a mixing bowl. Peel the oranges with a sharp knife, removing all the white pith. Cut between the membranes and add the orange sections to the bowl with the rice. Add the olive oil, orange juice, raspberry vinegar, grapes, pecans, cranberries, scallions, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper. Allow to sit for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Taste for seasonings and serve at room temperature.

SHERRY THYME VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Shake all ingredients in a well-sealed jar. Use immediately, or store in refrigerator up to 1 week. Before serving, bring vinaigrette to room temperature and reshake to combine.

VEGETABLE WILD RICE SALAD

Steps:

• Bring water and rice mix to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer rice to a bowl to cool.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil; cook peas in the boiling water until just cooked, about 2 minutes. Drain and cool.
• Mix cooled peas, artichoke hearts, olives, tomatoes, parsley, and green onions into cooled rice mixture.
• Blend vinegar, canola oil, and sugar together in a blender or shake in a covered bottle until dressing is emulsified and creamy. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss to coat. Refrigerate salad until ready to serve.

WILD RICE AND ROASTED SQUASH SALAD WITH CIDER VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees and set a rack in the center of the oven.
• Prepare the rice: Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the wild rice to the boiling water, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the rice until tender and most grains have split, 40 to 50 minutes. Drain the rice.
• While the rice cooks, roast the squash: On a baking sheet, toss the squash with the olive oil, paprika and a sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper. Spread the squash into an even layer, then transfer to the oven to roast, stirring a few times, until golden and tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette: In a small saucepan, bring the apple cider to a boil over high. Boil the cider until it has reduced to about 1/4 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully transfer the cider syrup to a jar with a lid (don't put the lid on yet) and let it cool slightly. Add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt and pepper. Screw the lid on tightly and shake vigorously to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Assemble the salad: Add the cooked rice, roasted squash, radicchio, cherries and parsley to a large bowl. Shake the vinaigrette to combine, then drizzle a few tablespoons over the salad and toss gently to combine. Add more vinaigrette to taste. (You may have a bit of extra vinaigrette; refrigerate it for up to 3 days and toss with other greens or grains.)
• Top the salad with the toasted walnuts and a sprinkle of flaky salt and pepper, and serve immediately.