Wild Rice Bread

It’s no secret that we love wild rice around here.  That said, I’ve never made it into a bread before. 

It’s delicious, nutty and hearty. 

Perfect with a bowl of soup.

Delicious for grilled cheese. 

Tasty with an over-easy egg.  Regardless of how you slice it, you’ll love it. 

Wild Rice Bread – Adapted from Thyme in Our Kitchen

Ingredients

• 3/4 C milk
• 1/8 C olive oil
• 1/8 C honey
• 1 T molasses
• 1 1/2 C cooked wild rice
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 C brown sugar
• 1 1/2 C bread flour
• 1 1/2 C white whole wheat flour
• 2 1/4 tsp. yeast

Directions

Combine 3/4 C milk, 1/8 C olive oil, 1/8 C honey and 1 T molasses into a saucepan or a microwave safe bowl.  Warm until the liquids reach 120ish degrees. 

Meanwhile, mix together 1 1/2 C white whole wheat flour, 2 1/4 tsp. yeast, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/8 C brown sugar.  When the liquids are warm, pour into the dry ingredients.  Mix well with a spatula.

Add in the wild rice and the remaining 1 1/2 C bread flour.  Knead with a dough hook in your mixer, or by hand for 7 minutes until dough is well formed.  You can tell if the gluten is developed enough by being able to tear off a piece of dough and stretch it without it breaking. 

Shape into a ball and place into a lightly greased bowl.  Cover with a tea towel and set in a warm place to allow the dough to rise for 1 hour or so, until doubled. 

Punch down and shape into a loaf.  Place into a lightly greased 8-inch loaf pan.  Cover with a towel again, and allow the dough to rise again, until dough has risen to 1-2 inches above the top of the pan. 

Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes until dough sounds hollow when lightly tapped. 

Cool completely and slice to serve. 

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Ingredient Spotlight–Wild Rice

Thanks for joining us this week for Ingredient Spotlight.  Last week featured PUMPKIN!  If you missed it, you can find all the delicious links right here. 

This week, we’re focusing on Wild Rice.  This nutty and rich rice is a staple at our house, but may not be overly familiar to you if you are not from the Upper Midwest.  If the only “wild rice” you’ve enjoyed is Rice-a-Roni or Uncle Ben’s Pilaf, try one of these recipes using wild rice. 

Wild Rice is high in fiber, protein, folate, iron, potassium and zinc.  And, it’s delicious too. 

Minnesota Wild Rice Soup

Wild Rice Stuffing

Wild Rice Pepper Salad

Wild Rice Hotdish

Sausage Soup with Spinach & Wild Rice

Mushroom & Wild Rice Soup

Wild Rice Stuffed Peppers

How do you like your wild rice?

An InLinkz Link-up

Join us next week for Molasses! 

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Wild Rice Stuffed Peppers

These wild rice stuffed peppers were a hit at our house last week. 

They were filling, tasty and easy to make. 

While they made a great meal on their own, I couldn’t help but think how great they would taste on Thanksgiving Day as a side dish. 

Yum-o.  `

Wild Rice Stuffed Peppers – Inspired by Kate in the Kitchen

Ingredients

• 4 medium red bell peppers
• 1 C uncooked wild rice
• 1 (14 oz) can Great White Northern Beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 – 2 C fresh spinach
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 T minced onion
• 2 oz. shredded cheese, Mozzarella preferred
• 4-5 T Parmesan cheese

Directions

Begin by preparing your wild rice; first rinse the grains, then add water as recommended on the package.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and simmer until rice is tender (usually about 50 minutes).  I made my wild rice 1 day ahead of time, which make the prep for this dinner so easy. 

Meanwhile, slice open the bell peppers and remove the core.  Place the peppers cut-side down on a cookie sheet lined with tinfoil and lightly sprayed with olive oil. 

Bake the peppers for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.  You want the peppers to begin to soften and roast, but don’t want to burn them. 

Remove from the oven. 

*Note: if you are in a hurry, broil the peppers for 5 minutes, then turn your oven down to 400 and get ready to fill the peppers.  Just watch carefully so they don’t burn! 

While the peppers roast, heat a little olive oil with the minced onion and garlic; toast until fragrant.  Then, add the wild rice, diced tomatoes and great white northern beans. 

Add in spinach.  You can use frozen here too, 1 small package (about 7 oz) should be perfect.  Season with parsley if desired.  Heat until warmed. 

Stir in 2 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese and/or cheddar cheese. 

Carefully, flip over the peppers so that the cut side is up.  Using a cookie scoop, plop 1-2 scoops of the filling into each bell pepper. 

Top with Parmesan cheese. 

Return to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted, and the bell peppers are tender. 

Serve warm. 

Enjoy!

Leftovers reheat well too. 

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Sausage Soup with Spinach & Wild Rice

This recipe comes from my mom – who recently had it laying out when I stopped by for a visit.  I copied it down and decided with winter still clearly here, that it would make a hearty dinner. 

We love wild rice, but were not sure how it would combine with the Italian style of this soup – but, it was great. 

A nice change from our normal array of soups. 

Sausage Soup with Spinach & Wild Rice – from Mom

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 C water
• 1/2 C uncooked wild rice
• 1 lb. turkey Italian sausage (we used links)
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 T onion
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 C water
• 3 T tomato paste
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. basil
• 3 cans chicken broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 3 C spinach, torn
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 3 T parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook wild rice in 1 1/2 C water according to package directions. 

Brown sausage, drain.  Quarter (if using links) and set aside.

Meanwhile, sauté onion and garlic.  Add sausage and 3 C water.  Add in seasoning, tomato paste chicken broth and diced tomatoes. 

Boil, then reduce to the soup to a simmer.  Simmer for 20 minutes. 

Stir in wild rice, spinach and season with salt and pepper. 

Top with cheese. 

Enjoy!

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Mushroom & Wild Rice Soup

The ingredients in this soup seem almost too simple, as in – I thought the recipe might be missing something.

I took one taste while the soup was simmering, and quickly realized that was certainly not the case. 

This soup is one of our new favorites. 

If you haven’t cooked with wild rice before, do me a favor – do not buy a wild rice blend.  Buy the real deal.  Either a cracked or non-cracked variety will do, but go with a pure variety. 

Wild rice has a semi-sweet and nutty taste and in this soup, it’s incredible. 

It’s a nutritional powerhouse too – high in protein, fiber, iron, potassium, B vitamins, manganese & zinc.  Give this soup a try, I’m sure you will enjoy it.

Mushroom & Wild Rice Soup – From A Thought for Food

Ingredients

• 2 ribs of celery, sliced
• 3 C sliced carrots
• 2 T minced onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 16 oz. baby bella mushrooms
• 6 C chicken broth
• 2 C water
• 1 1/2 C cooked wild rice
• salt & pepper to taste
• Parsley, for garnish

Directions

Begin by placing your sliced celery and carrots into a large stockpot along with 6 C chicken broth and 2 C water.  Bring the veggies to a boil.  Cover and boil away for 15 minutes. 

Add in the mushrooms, onion and garlic.  Simmer your soup for an additional 10 minutes. 

Add in 1 1/2 C cooked wild rice. 

Season with salt and pepper. 

Heat until wild rice is warm and ladle up.  Garnish with parsley. 

Serve warm with crusty bread. 

Enjoy!

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Turkey & Sweet Potato Chowder with Wild Rice

A few weeks ago, one of my favorite food blogs posted a delicious recipe for Smoked Turkey Chowder with Mushrooms & Sweet Potatoes.  You all know my love for sweet potatoes, right? 

Recently, we gave this soup a try and LOVED it.  We used the same basic recipe, healthified it a bit {whole wheat flour, milk rather than cream, increased the number of veggies}, and added wild rice.  It’s a new favorite. 

Turkey & Sweet Potato Chowder with Wild Rice - Adapted from Brenda

Ingredients

• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 2 T minced onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium red (or yellow) bell pepper, diced
• 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 4 large carrots, sliced
• 1/2 C wild rice, uncooked
• 1/2 C white whole wheat flour
• 4 C chicken broth
• 2 C water
• 1 tsp. parsley, dried
• 1/4 tsp. thyme, dried
• 7 oz. frozen sweet corn
• 1 medium/large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2” pieces
• 1 C half and half or whole milk
• 1 C diced or shredded turkey
• 2 T low-sodium soy sauce
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Begin by sautéing the celery, bell pepper, mushrooms and carrots in the bottom of a large stockpot.  Once veggies begin to cook and release their liquids, add in the minced garlic and onion.  Sauté over medium high heat for 3-5 minutes. 

Stir in 1/2 C white whole wheat flour and coat all the veggies. 

Slowly stir in 4 C chicken broth, adding them 1/2 C at a time, stirring after each addition.  Then, add in 2 C water.  Bring soup to a boil, stirring occasionally. 

Reduce heat to a slow boil/simmer, and add in the spices (1 tsp. parsley and 1/4 tsp. thyme), 1/2 C wild rice, 7 oz. frozen sweet corn and 1/2” pieces of sweet potato. Add in turkey.  

Cook at a simmer for 20-30 minutes, covered. 

Add in 1 C half and half or whole milk.  Stir in 2 T low-sodium soy sauce. 

Serve warm topped with crumbled cooked bacon with a side of crusty bread, or perhaps whole wheat crackers. 

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