Wild Rice Recipes

How To Cook Wild Rice

Wild rice is cooked in much the same manner as pasta, the more clean, cold water that is used, the better it is.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wild rice

  4 - cups water

  1 - tsp. salt

Method:

Place rice in a wire strainer and rinse well with cold water. Combine rice with water and salt in heavy saucepan. Heat to boiling. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 50 minutes until rice is tender. Remove cover. Drain rice. Fluff rice with fork. ( Serves six ) NOTE: After the first 30 minutes of cooking, check to see that the rice is not sticking to the pan. If necessary, an additional 1/4 cup of water may be added.

Far North Wild Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups wild rice

  1 medium onion, chopped

  1 medium green pepper, chopped

  3 cups (approx.) sliced fresh mushrooms

  3/4 cup celery, chopped

  1/2 lb. bacon, chopped

  1 cup frozen peas ( optional )

  1/4 cup Soya sauce

  pepper to taste

Method:

Cook wild rice according to How to Cook Wild Rice, remembering to double the amounts in the instructions to accommodate this recipe. Drain the rice if necessary and lightly rinse with water. Brown the bacon ( or chicken ) and drain on paper toweling. Sauté the mushrooms in 2 tbs. butter or oil and toss with rice. In skillet, sauté onions, celery, and green pepper until softened, about 5 minutes. Add bacon, cooked wild rice and mushrooms, peas, Soya sauce, pepper, and gently stir-fry together over medium heat for 5 minutes or until warmed through. Note: This recipe can be varied in many different ways, to make it lower fat, the bacon can be replaced with chicken, and to decrease the amount of salt, the Soya sauce can be replaced with chicken broth. Serves 6 - 8

Wild Rice With Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wild rice

  2 Tbs. butter or oil

  1 Tbs. grated onion

  1 Tbs. each, finely chopped parsley, chives and green pepper

  1/2 - lb. fresh mushrooms

  Pinch nutmeg

Method:

Cook the wild rice. ( see How to Cook Wild Rice ) Melt butter, stir in onion, parsley, chives, and green pepper, sauté for three minutes. Add mushrooms, thinly sliced, and cook for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir into the cooked, drained wild rice and serve. This can be served as a side dish with any game or meat, may also be molded into individual buttered timbales.

Popped Wild Rice

Popped wild rice can be used as an interesting replacement for croutons in a salad, or as a garnish on soups, and casseroles.
Not all wild rice will pop successfully. The best wild rice to use is hand processed wild rice that usually has more moisture left in each kernel, which will expand when heated.

Method

Place about 1/2 inch of oil in a small, shallow pan with a small strainer set in the oil. Heat at high temperature until oil is at about 450 F. Drop 1 kernel of rice into the strainer. When it sizzles, cracks open and expands to about double it's length, the oil is ready. ( You may wish to reduce the heat temporarily. ) Add 1 tablespoon of rice at a time to the oil, when all the kernels have expanded ( which constitutes the popping ), empty the strainer out onto paper toweling. Repeat, adjusting heat as necessary. Crisp popped rice may be seasoned with salt, pepper, and mixed herbs to enhance the flavour. This popped rice can be made in large quantities and stored in a sealed container for several weeks.

Spicy Eggplant and Wild Rice

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup uncooked wild rice
• 1 medium eggplant, about 1 1/2 lbs.
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2" slices
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 1/4 tsp. powdered ginger
• 6 Tbsp. peanut oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. mango chutney

Method

Cook wild rice as directed in How to Cook Wild Rice above. Cut eggplant into 1 inch cubes and turn into a bowl. Add the onion, curry powder and ginger. Toss to mix. In deep skillet or wok, heat the oil over high heat. Add eggplant and saute, tossing frequently, for about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook until eggplant is tender and browned, for about 25 minutes. Add the salt, lemon juice, chutney, and fold in the wild rice. This dish may be served as a hot side dish, or as a cold or room temperature salad. Serves 4 - 6

Wild Rice and Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups uncooked wild rice
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp. sun dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. fresh basil leaves, chopped

Method

Cook wild rice according to How to Cook Wild Rice above. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn into a shallow buttered casserole. In heavy skillet, heat the oil. Add the chicken and saute over medium heat until just cooked through and browned. Remove chicken breasts and arrange over the bed of wild rice in the casserole. Add the cream to the skillet the chicken was cooked in. Bring to a boil, stirring to bring all of the brownings into the cream. Add the chopped sun dried tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken breasts. Cover and bake at 350 F just until heated through, about 20 to 30 minutes. Garnish with the fresh basil leaves and serve hot. Serves 6

Wild Rice Crepes With Berries and Cream

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cold milk
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cooked wild rice
• butter for cooking crepes

Method

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, water, salt , flour, and wild rice. Let rest for 30 minutes. Heat crepe pan until a drop of water sizzles on the surface. Lightly butter the pan. Make crepes using 1/4 cup of batter at a time. Stack on a piece of waxed paper as crepes are done. Roll each crepe around a few tablespoons of your favorite berries and a tablespoon of whipped cream. Wild blueberries are the best! Top with some more whipped cream and serve. Makes 15 to 16 5-inch crepes

Wild Rice Breakfast Scones

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 5 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1 cup cooked wild rice
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• additional sugar for top

Method

Measure flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt into mixing bowl. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix wild rice with buttermilk and eggs. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the mixture. Pour the remaining liquid over dry ingredients. Mix just until flour is moistened; dough will be soft. Turn out onto a lightly floured board; shape into a ball. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Roll or pat into an 8" circle. Brush with reserved egg and milk mixture over top. Sprinkle with a little granulated sugar. With a knife, score into 8 wedges. Leave in place. Bake at 400 F until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet, cool on wire rack. Pull edges apart to serve. Makes 8 wedges.

Email at: rrussell@mb.sympatico.ca