Valentine's Day 2011 - Wild Rice with Dried Fruit and Nuts

Such a wonderful side dish to go with our Cornish hens. This was a nice change from our standard Thanksgiving birdies. We pulled this out of an Everyday Food, but I don't know what issue . . .

 
. . . and it really isn't that difficult to make.

• 3-5 scallions, thinly sliced and separated green from white
• 1 T. EVOO
• coarse salt & ground pepper
• 1 1/4 C. wild rice or wild rice blend
• 2 T. red-wine vinegar
• 1/2 C. dried cherries or cranberries
• 2 T. water
• 1/2 C. pecans, toasted and chopped

1. In a medium saucepan, heat EVOO over medium-high heat. Add scallion whites and cooke, stirring often until soft, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add wild rice and water (as directed on package) and cook.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine red-wine vinegar, dried fruit (we used the cherries to marry with the cherry port glaze on the hens), and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer an dcook until vinegar is almost absorbed, about 3 minutes.
3. Transfer fruit and rice to a bowl, then add scallion greens and pecans. Stir well to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

We found this to be a perfect match to our hens and happily enjoyed leftovers the next day. While this won't replace our standard wild rice salad at Thanksgiving, I do believe we'll make sure to serve it every time we serve the cherry port hens as they seem to just belong together. And we'll probably find excuses to serve it at other times as well.