Wild rice: a good for you food

It’s recipes using wild rice today. Wild rice is a natural food, with no additives or preservatives. That tells me, right off the bat that it’s a “good for us” food. It is nutritionally close to wheat and is one of the most wholesome grains. (It is a grain, not a variety of rice so I’ve been told). It is low in fat and high in fiber and protein, plus other minerals. It is a low calorie carbohydrate, with just 130 calories in one cup of cooked rice. That sounds like a lot of calories, but that amount tells me that half a cup, 65 calories, is plenty to eat as a side dish at a meal. It is a good substitute for potatoes when served with chicken, turkey, pork or fish. It’s a little more “spendy” than white or brown rice but it’s worth the extra cost. It will keep almost indefinitely on the shelf and when cooked and well drained, it can be refrigerated up to two weeks. Frozen, it will keep 2-3 months, or more, when properly packaged. It takes about 30 minutes longer to cook than white rice. If you have recipes using cooked wild rice, cook a big batch. Freeze some and it will be ready to use in minutes in a casserole, soup or as a side dish. Also, 1 c. uncooked rice equals 4 c. cooked.

CREAMY WILD RICE CASSEROLE

4 c. cooked wild rice

1 lb. lean ground beef

8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced 1/4” thick

1/4 c. thinly sliced celery

1/2 c. diced onion

1/4 c. butter

2 T. soy sauce

1 c. sour cream

Few dashes pepper

1/4 c. slivered almonds

In a large skillet, brown ground beef; drain and set aside. In same skillet, add butter, celery and onions. Saute for 4 minutes; add mushrooms and cook 5 minutes longer. Combine soy sauce, sour cream, pepper, wild rice, almonds and ground beef; stir into mushroom mixture. Turn into a lightly buttered 1-1/2 or 2 qt. casserole dish. Bake at 450 degrees for about 45 minutes uncovered. Stir gently several times during cooking. If it looks too dry, add a little water. 

Makes four-six servings.

Note: If you wish, make in advance, refrigerate and bake 50-55 minutes.

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This is a quick way to fix fish with wild rice, using some of the extra cooked wild rice you may have in the fridge or freezer.

BAKED WALLEYE WITH WILD RICE

4 c. cooked wild rice

1/4 c. butter or margarine

1/2 c. diced onion

2-4 oz. cans mushroom pieces, drained

8 walleye 

Salt and pepper to taste

1-1/2 c. or more, fine dry bread crumbs

2 sticks butter, melted

1/4 c. plus 2 T. sliced almonds

In a large skillet, melt 1/4 c. butter. Saute onion until almost transparent. Stir in mushrooms and wild rice. Turn heat to low, keeping wild rice mixture hot; gently stirring now and then. Season fillets with salt and pepper. Put crumbs on waxed paper or in a pie plate. Coat fillets in bread crumbs. Put filets on a sprayed 10x15” jelly roll pan or a cookie sheet with sides. (I lay a piece of foil in the pan first and then spray-less clean up!) Bake at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes. While fish is baking melt butter in a smaller skillet; add almonds and saute until barely brown. Serve fillets with the rice as a side dish. Spoon buttered almonds over fish and wild rice.

Makes eight servings.

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This is a good vegetarian-style casserole to serve with any kind of fish or meat.

VEGETABLES AND WILD RICE

CASSEROLE

1 small bag baby carrots

1/4 c. butter or margarine

3 T. flour

2 c. milk, warmed a bit

3 oz. cream cheese

1 c. Cheese Whiz or grated cheddar cheese

1-32 oz. pkg. frozen broccoli, carrots and onions combination

2 c. cooked wild rice

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter; slowly add flour, stirring to combine. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly. Add cheeses and stir until melted. Add frozen veggies and rice. Other veggies, such as 1/2 c. frozen peas or corn may be added to the mixture if you wish. Turn into a 2-1/2 to 3 qt. casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes or until bubbly. 

Makes six-eight servings.

Note: If you have leftovers, thin the mixture with additional milk, add a little dill weed or snipped parsley and you will have a delicious cream of vegetable soup.

Thought for the Day: If you wouldn’t write it and sign it, don’t say it. That’s a powerful statement isn’t it!

It’s recipes using wild rice today. Wild rice is a natural food, with no additives or preservatives. That tells me, right off the bat that it’s a “good for us” food. It is nutritionally close to wheat and is one of the most wholesome grains. (It is a grain, not a variety of rice so I’ve been told). It is low in fat and high in fiber and protein, plus other minerals. It is a low calorie carbohydrate, with just 130 calories in one cup of cooked rice. That sounds like a lot of calories, but that amount tells me that half a cup, 65 calories, is plenty to eat as a side dish at a meal. It is a good substitute for potatoes when served with chicken, turkey, pork or fish. It’s a little more “spendy” than white or brown rice but it’s worth the extra cost. It will keep almost indefinitely on the shelf and when cooked and well drained, it can be refrigerated up to two weeks. Frozen, it will keep 2-3 months, or more, when properly packaged. It takes about 30 minutes longer to cook than white rice. If you have recipes using cooked wild rice, cook a big batch. Freeze some and it will be ready to use in minutes in a casserole, soup or as a side dish. Also, 1 c. uncooked rice equals 4 c. cooked.

4 c. cooked wild rice

1 lb. lean ground beef

8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced 1/4” thick

1/4 c. thinly sliced celery

1/2 c. diced onion

1/4 c. butter

2 T. soy sauce

1 c. sour cream

Few dashes pepper

1/4 c. slivered almonds

In a large skillet, brown ground beef; drain and set aside. In same skillet, add butter, celery and onions. Saute for 4 minutes; add mushrooms and cook 5 minutes longer. Combine soy sauce, sour cream, pepper, wild rice, almonds and ground beef; stir into mushroom mixture. Turn into a lightly buttered 1-1/2 or 2 qt. casserole dish. Bake at 450 degrees for about 45 minutes uncovered. Stir gently several times during cooking. If it looks too dry, add a little water. 

Makes four-six servings.

Note: If you wish, make in advance, refrigerate and bake 50-55 minutes.

This is a quick way to fix fish with wild rice, using some of the extra cooked wild rice you may have in the fridge or freezer.

4 c. cooked wild rice

1/4 c. butter or margarine

1/2 c. diced onion

2-4 oz. cans mushroom pieces, drained

8 walleye 

Salt and pepper to taste

1-1/2 c. or more, fine dry bread crumbs

2 sticks butter, melted

1/4 c. plus 2 T. sliced almonds

In a large skillet, melt 1/4 c. butter. Saute onion until almost transparent. Stir in mushrooms and wild rice. Turn heat to low, keeping wild rice mixture hot; gently stirring now and then. Season fillets with salt and pepper. Put crumbs on waxed paper or in a pie plate. Coat fillets in bread crumbs. Put filets on a sprayed 10x15” jelly roll pan or a cookie sheet with sides. (I lay a piece of foil in the pan first and then spray-less clean up!) Bake at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes. While fish is baking melt butter in a smaller skillet; add almonds and saute until barely brown. Serve fillets with the rice as a side dish. Spoon buttered almonds over fish and wild rice.

Makes eight servings.

This is a good vegetarian-style casserole to serve with any kind of fish or meat.

1 small bag baby carrots

1/4 c. butter or margarine

3 T. flour

2 c. milk, warmed a bit

3 oz. cream cheese

1 c. Cheese Whiz or grated cheddar cheese

1-32 oz. pkg. frozen broccoli, carrots and onions combination

2 c. cooked wild rice

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter; slowly add flour, stirring to combine. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly. Add cheeses and stir until melted. Add frozen veggies and rice. Other veggies, such as 1/2 c. frozen peas or corn may be added to the mixture if you wish. Turn into a 2-1/2 to 3 qt. casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes or until bubbly. 

Makes six-eight servings.

Note: If you have leftovers, thin the mixture with additional milk, add a little dill weed or snipped parsley and you will have a delicious cream of vegetable soup.