Cranberry Apple Rice Pilaf

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword cranberry-apple-rice-pilaf, rice-pilaf-recipes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 493kcal

Place wild rice blend and stock into a 3 quart saucepan. Bring the rice and broth to a boil, then immediately lower heat to simmer and cover. Simmer covered for 45 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Do not remove the lid during cooking time. (Alternately, using a rice cooker, add wild rice blend and stock to the cooker. Stir and turn on to cook.)
To toast pecans: Place a 12 inch skillet on the stovetop. Turn heat to medium-high. Add pecans in a single layer. Let sit for a few seconds, then stir toasting for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Five minutes before rice is done, melt butter in same 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Once it begins to melt, add shallots keeping heat on medium-high. Cook for 2-3 minutes, just until translucent and beginning to brown. Add garlic, salt and pepper cooking for 1 minute longer.
To the skillet add apple and cranberries. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add cooked rice and pecans back to the pan. (Reserve some pecans for garnishing, if desired)
Turn off heat add 1 Tbsp parsley, thyme and tarragon. Mix well.
Serve immediately garnished with reserved parsley and pecans, if desired.

This recipe uses brown rice for it's nutty texture. It combines beautifully with the apples and cranberries. Should you prefer, you could adapt using a white wild rice blend. When doing so, please follow the package directions for how long to cook as it will take less time than brown rice. You may also need to adapt the amount of chicken stock.