Zingy Wild Rice and Roast Veg Salad

My very first foray into cooking wild rice.

Not only does it look amazing, but the taste and texture add another dimension to your standard image of rice. The flavour is somewhat nutty and the texture is slightly crunchy/chewy on the outside, yet soft in the middle. Very different from you standard rice and this is probably because wild rice is actually an aquatic grass. It is packed full of nutrients and contains folic acid, B vitamins and protein.

Wild rice freezes well once cooked, so cook up the whole packet and freeze in single portions for easy lunches.

This recipe was a bit of an experiment and I took the flavour ideas from the many grain salads that I have cooked over the years. Black rice would also work exceptionally well with seafood and oriental flavours.

Ingredients:

125g wild rice

low fat cooking spray

1/4 butternut, peeled and chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into batons

1 red onion, cut into wedges

1 red capsicum, sliced

1 courgette, sliced

Salt and pepper

1/2 bunch of corriander, roughly chopped

1 satsuma, chopped into small pieces

1 Tbs each of pumpkin and sesame seeds

For the dressing...

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 Tbs tahini

2 Tbs lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

1/2 tsp crushed hot chilli

Juice and zest of 1 satsuma

Some water to thin the dressing as you go

Salt

1) Cook the rice according to the packet instructions - it will generally take 50-60 minutes.

2) Turn the oven to 200°c, or gas mark 6. Spray the cooking spray into a foil lined tin and add all the vegetables, sprinkling with salt and pepper. Roast them in the oven for about 45-50 minutes until tender, stirring around a couple of times.

3) To make the dressing, mix the garlic, tahini and lemon juice together with a fork. Add the chilli and a good pinch of salt and then add a little warm water (about a Tbs at a time) until you get a dressing like consistency. Don't add to much at a time because it quickly goes from too thick to too thin. Stir in the zests and set aside.

4) In a small, oil free pan, toast the seeds over a low heat and stir every few minutes. Keep a close eye on them as they'll burn easily. They'll take about 15 minutes and the pumpkin seeds will start to burst their little green skins when done. Again, set these aside.

5) When cooked, drain the rice and allow it to cool a little. Take the orast veggies out of the oven. Put the cooled rice in a large bowl with the corriander and satsuma flesh and pour half the dressing in, mixing well. Add the roast vegetables, mix well together and then pour over the rest of the dressing and mix everything again.

6) Serve scattered with the toasted seeds.

Serves 2-3.