Wild Rice Salad With Roasted Buttenut Squash and Orange Cider Dressing

FALL FOR FLAVOR

Savor autumn days and nights. Enjoy a wild rice and butternut squash salad with a slice of cranberry almond iced cake https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2022/10/cranberry-coffeecake-with-almond-icing.html perfect for the season.

Wild Rice Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash and Orange Cider Dressing
Cook’s notes:
A refreshing healthy autumn salad made with nutty wild rice, butternut squash, and fruits drizzled with orange cider dressing. Pair the salad with a turkey or roasted pork dinner. Advance planning makes preparation easier by cooking wild rice, and chopping fruits and celery ahead. The recipe serves four and was adapted from BHG.
Wild Rice Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash and Orange Cider Dressing

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Sprinkle of cinnamon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 5 cups cooked wild rice
• 2 cups butternut squash, small cubes
• 2 clementines peeled and segmented
• 1 cup each diced celery and red apple with the skin on
• 1 pear, cored and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup dried cranberries or pomegranates (arils)
• Lettuce leaf or spinach
• Optional 1 cup roasted salted pistachios or toasted pecans

Salad Directions:

• Cook wild rice until porous enough to soak up dressing, about 45 minutes. Drain, rinse, and set rice aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl toss squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil or Orange Olive Oil, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Roast squash for 15 minutes or until softened and slightly caramelized. Stir once during cooking time. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
• While squash is roasting, combine cooked wild rice, fruits, and celery in a bowl. Stir in cooled butternut squash. Place the salad mixture on a lettuce leaf, and drizzle with Orange Cider Dressing.

Orange Cider Dressing Ingredients and Directions:

• In a blender add ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons chopped shallots, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Add in 1 tablespoon of orange zest, 5 tablespoons of orange juice, 2 tablespoons of honey, and 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard.
• Blend and slowly add in ¼ cup olive oil or Blood Orange Olive Oil to mix.
• Season to taste. Refrigerate for a few hours in a screw-type jar. Reshake before using.

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