Harvest Wild Rice with Apples, Sage + Goji Berries
(Photo credit Julia D’agostino)
Check out my recipe featured on MindBodyGreen!
This delicious side dish is a healthy alternative to traditional processed carbo-licious side dishes (like boxed stuffing!) at holiday meals.
Excerpted from my book Plants First, this recipe made its first appearance alongside our roasted turkey at Christmas dinner after my husband and I both decided we didn't like the traditional bread stuffing we had made at Thanksgiving. Any whole grain will work, but I like the flavor and nuttiness of long-grain wild rice.
Interestingly, wild rice is not actually rice at all but a species of grass grown near freshwater that produces a seed that is cooked like rice. Wild rice has about 30 times more antioxidant activity than white rice and a lot more fiber, too. It's also a complete protein, meaning it has all the essential amino acidsthat our bodies cannot make, but similar to other whole grains, it has only about 4 grams of protein per half-cup serving. If you want to add protein and more immune-boosting nourishment, cook your whole grains in bone broth.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup wild rice
Fine sea salt
1 tablespoon ghee or unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium crunchy green apple, finely chopped (do not peel)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon white miso
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
¼ cup dried goji berries
Freshly ground black pepper
1 scallion, chopped, for garnish
Directions
Cook the rice with a tiny pinch of salt according to the package instructions until it cracks open and begins to curl, about 45 minutes. Drain the excess water and fluff the rice with a fork. (You can prepare the wild rice in advance and rewarm it before adding it in Step 2.)
When the rice is nearly done, heat the ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until tender, about 1 minute. Add the apple, sesame oil, miso, herbs, and goji berries, and sauté for another minute or so. Add the cooked rice, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with the chopped scallion.
P.S. To make this recipe Dr. Katie Detox Friendly, simply substitute in raisins or dried unsweetened cranberries for the goji berries (which are in the nightshade family).