Wild Rice Salad with Brussels Sprouts

First off, thanks everyone for the great comments on my blog-iversary! You’re awesome.

Eating healthy during the winter is SUCH a challenge for me. Leafy green salads, try as they might, just do not warm me up, and as hearty as soups and stews are, I really just want to bury myself in a vat of bubbling hot cheese.

Binging on pasta and pizza is totally natural when it’s cold out — apparently, our bodies are wired to crave carbs in winter, but that doesn’t help me much in my attempts to fit in my clothes come spring. So I did the most logical thing I could think of: I added carbs to my salad.

As we all know, I love a good grain salad. They’re filling, good hot or cold, and easy to travel with, making them perfect for bringing to lunch. In the past, I’ve used quinoa, farro and barley, so this time, I decided to try wild rice.

Growing up, we ate a lot of white rice. In the past five years, I’ve switched almost exclusively to brown rice (to be honest, I actually mean fried rice, since the only time I eat rice is with my delivery Chinese), but this was my first time trying tried wild rice. Nutritionally, it has more proteins and fewer carbs than its brown counterpart, but we’re here mostly for the taste. It’s nuttier and chewier than brown rice (which is already too chewy for some coughmyparentscough*), which means it stands up well to flavorful vegetables and bold dressings.

When you say “vegetable,” my first thought goes to Brussels sprouts, so I lightly sauteed some and threw them in. I wanted a snappy dressing that cut through my winter ennui, so I looked to April Bloomfield for inspiration. Her lemon-caper dressing is knock-your-socks-off tangy, so I simplified it a bit and toned it down a touch so that the flavors of the rice and the sprouts could shine. With a few toasted pine nuts for crunch, this wild rice salad was a satisfying way to stay healthy in this cold.

*These are real coughs, since I’ve been sick for almost a week now with an unshakeable combo of strep/a bad cold. Get ready for yet another round of soup (woot!)

Wild Rice Salad with Brussels Sprouts
Dressing inspired by April Bloomfield

– 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

– 3 cups shredded Brussels sprouts

– zest and juice of half a lemon

– 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained

– 1-1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

– salt and pepper, to taste

– 1 cup dry wild rice blend, cooked according to package instructions and cooled (should yield 2 cups cooked rice)

– 1/4 cup pine nuts (or chopped almonds)

1) In a large skillet or saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and use tongs to toss the sprouts around, coating them in the oil. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the sprouts begin to wilt. Then uncover and saute, tossing frequently, until the leaves have browned slightly, 3-5 minutes. Let cool slightly.

2) Make the lemon-caper dressing: in a small bowl, mix together the lemon zest and juice, capers, mustard, salt and pepper. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and mix well.

3) Pour the dressing over the cooled Brussels sprouts, then stir in the cooked wild rice. Toss to mix completely.

4) Toast the pine nuts: in a clean, dry skillet on medium-low heat, cook the pine nuts in an even layer, stirring occasionally, until the nuts are golden brown. Toss the toasted pine nuts on top of the wild rice salad and serve.