Wild Rice Dish for Christmas Dinner

This rice dish with fruits and nuts is a wonderful holiday dish to serve with turkey, pork or chicken. The flavors combine to give it a tangy bite that compliments most meats. The colors of the different fruits make it a festive addition to any Christmas table. This can be made ahead of time and reheated as long as it is not overcooked. The great thing about this dish is that the different textures make it a unique and interesting dish. It is different from the traditional potato dishes and gives a fresh taste and look to your Christmas menu. This would also make a great dish for a Christmas potluck meal. The pecans can be replaced with other nuts or left out altogether if allergies are an issue. For a completely vegetarian dish, substitute vegetable stock for the chicken broth.

½ cup uncooked wild rice

3 cups of chicken broth, divided

1 cup apple juice

¾ cup of uncooked white rice

½ cup golden raisins

½ cup dried apricots, chopped

½ cup dried cranberries

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium white onion, chopped

½ cup pecans, roughly chopped

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Rinse wild rice in a fine mesh strainer under cold running water and drain. Combine the wild rice, 1 ½ cups of chicken broth and the apple juice in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes or until the rice is tender. Drain off any excess liquid.

Combine the white rice and the remaining chicken broth in another pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 12 - 15 minutes. Stir in the raisins, apricots and cranberries. Simmer for 5 more minutes or until the rice is tender and all of the liquid is absorbed. Remove the pan from heat let it stand, covered, for another 5 minutes or until the fruit is tender. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until tender. Stir in the pecans and cook while stirring for about 2 minutes. Add the wild rice and white rice mixtures to the skillet. Stir in the parsley. Stir and cook over medium heat about 2 minutes or until heated through.

Garnish with fresh rosemary, orange slices and whole cranberries for a festive look. Ensure that the fruits and nuts are will mixed with the rice so that each serving has a good mixture of all flavors.