Wild rice pilaf with butternut squash, cranberries and pecans
Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into small cubes
1 1/3 cups wild rice, rinsed
4 cups vegetable stock (or half water, half stock)
1 small/medium sweet onion, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional but good!)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Place the wild rice and stock in a medium saucepan. Heat to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes, or until some of the grains start to split. The rice should still be quite chewy. Drain thoroughly and place in a large bowl.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the butternut squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the squash on two baking sheets. Roast until tender and starting to brown, about 25 minutes (check earlier if your pieces are very small).
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet. Sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining olive oil, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon and orange juice.
Add the onions, cranberries, parsley, pecans and dressing to the wild rice and stir. Gently mix in the roasted squash. Serve warm if possible, or at room temperature.