Wild Rice Stuffing W Apples Cranberries Toasted Pecans Recipes

CRANBERRY-PECAN WILD RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 2-quart baking dish. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add the thyme and a pinch each of salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl.
• Add the rice, parsley, pecans, cranberries and apricots to the onion mixture and toss well. Season with salt and pepper. Evenly spread in the prepared baking dish and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle the top with parsley.

WILD RICE STUFFING WITH APPLES, PECANS AND CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Combine the wild rice with 4 1/2 cups stock or water in one saucepan and the brown rice with 1 1/2 cups stock or water in another smaller saucepan. Add salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer the brown rice for 35 to 40 minutes, until the rice is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the heat, place a clean kitchen towel over the pot and return the lid. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Simmer the wild rice for 40 to 50 minutes, until the grains have begun to splay. Drain through a strainer if there is liquid in the pot, and return to the pot. Place a clean kitchen towel over the pot and return the lid. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
• While the grains are cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the celery and a generous pinch of salt, and continue to cook until the onion is completely tender, another 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring, until it is fragrant, another 30 to 60 seconds. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl. Add the cooked grains and stir together.
• Return the skillet to the stove and heat over medium-high heat. Add the butter, and when the foam subsides add the apples. Cook, stirring or tossing in the pan, until lightly colored, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add to the bowl with the grains. Add the remaining ingredients and stir together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a lightly oiled or buttered baking dish and cover with foil.
• Warm the stuffing in a 325-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

CRANBERRY-WILD RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• Place wild rice in a saucepan and pour over just enough boiling water to cover. Set aside, covered, for one hour. Drain rice. Add fresh boiling water to cover by half an inch, and the bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook gently until rice is soft but not mushy, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well, discard bay leaf, and set aside.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart gratin dish or a 9x13 baking dish if not stuffing into a turkey.
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a sauté pan over medium heat and gently cook the onions until soft, about 7 minutes. Remove skins from sausages and add sausage meat to the pan with the onions. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, crumbling the sausage with a fork, until it is browned. Remove from the heat and stir in the wild rice.
• Rinse cranberries, picking them over and discarding any that are spoiled. Chop them roughly or process them briefly in a food processor. Add to the sausage-rice mixture and mix well. Add salt, pepper and sage if using and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning.
• Either stuff into a turkey or pour into the prepared dish. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and dot the top. Cover the dish with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden. Serve warm.

WILD RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread almonds on a baking pan, and toast until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove pan from oven, and set almonds aside to cool.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan set over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 7 minutes.
• Increase heat to high, and add rosemary and sage; season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until vegetables are golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat; stir in parsley. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl, and set aside. Return pan to heat.
• Crumble sausage, separating meat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to saute pan. Add sausage, and cook, stirring and breaking up meat until well browned, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Transfer sausage to bowl with reserved vegetables. Return pan to heat.
• Add remaining tablespoon olive oil to pan. Add apple, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add Calvados. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any brown bits on bottom of pan. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute.
• Remove pan from heat, and transfer mixture to bowl with sausage and vegetables. Add wild and white rice, apricots, prunes, and reserved toasted almonds. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a buttered baking dish and bake at 375 degrees until browned and heated through.