Best Wild Rice And Butternut Squash Pilaf Recipes

Wild and Brown Rice Pilaf with Butternut Squash and Dried Cranberries image

Yield Makes 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped peeled carrot
1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled seeded butternut squash
1 cup wild rice
1 cup long-grain brown rice
1 Fuji apple, peeled, cored, diced
1 cinnamon stick
3 3/4 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Steps:

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; sauté 5 minutes. Add ginger, curry powder, cumin, and garlic; stir 1 minute. Stir in squash and next 4 ingredients. Add 3 3/4 cups water and salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cranberries. Cover; let stand until cranberries soften, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand uncovered at room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap; rewarm in microwave.)

WILD RICE AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH PILAF image

Categories Side Bake

Yield 10-12 people

Number Of Ingredients 17

1 c. (8 oz.) good quality wild rice
1 c. (8 oz.) long grain brown rice
4-5 c. vegetable or chicken broth (I use vegetable base dissolved in water since I don't often have a use for veg. broth, and the base keeps forever)
2 Tbs. butter
2 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped carrots
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1 ½ tsp. thyme
1 tsp. marjoram
1 ½ tsp. salt
3 tsp. sage
5-6 c. butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes (1 medium squash)
½ c. sherry
1 c. chopped toasted nuts (pecans, hazelnuts or chestnuts would do)
¾ c. dried cranberries
½ c. dried cherries, coarsely chopped

Steps:

Put the rices in a pot add the broth, and bring to a boil. Once the liquid is boiling, turn down the heat to low, cover the pot and cook the rice until tender, about 30-40 minutes. Drain the rice and set aside. While the rice is cooking, heat the butter in a large fry pan and add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic and spices. Saute until tender. Preheat the oven to 350. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-13 baker. Mix the rice, sauted vegetables and all the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl and transfer the pilaf to the baker. Bake, covered, for ½ hour. Remove the foil and bake another half hour until the squash is tender. Serve.