Sometimes its nice to change things up a bit, especially when it comes to dinner.  You know what I’m talking about or you wouldn’t be reading this.  I happen to find wild rice on sale at the market this week and picked up enough to make more than one meal.  I love a good find at a good price!

My husband was going to grill some steak pieces tonight, so making a wild rice salad sounded like a good idea.  A simple dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce,  add some basil and dried cranberries for a little sweetness, pecans and green onions for crunch, and some feta cheese to balance all the flavors.

Start cooking the wild rice first.  It takes about 30 minutes to cook.  Chopping up the basil and onions only takes a couple of minutes.  This leaves you time to make your main dish and then throw all of the salad ingredients together once the rice is done.  It can sit and blend while you finish your main dish and dinner is ready.  This salad goes well with grilled dishes like steak, but goes just as well with a good burger or brat.  Or add a few more vegetables (sweet peppers, garbanzo beans, and cucumbers) and have it as a light meal all by itself!

You’ll need:

1 cup dry wild rice

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup chopped green onion

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup dried cranberries

3 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup chopped basil

1/2 feta cheese, crumbled

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium saucepan, cook rice according to package directions.  Drain in a fine meshed sieve or colander, and run under cold water to cool completely. Let stand for 5 minutes to drain completely.

While the wild rice is cooking…

In a small bowl, combine olive oil, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar for dressing. Set aside.

Chop basil, green onions, and pecans.  In a small bowl, combine olive oil, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar.  When the rice is cooked and drained, return it to the saucepan.  Add basil, green onion, pecans and cranberries.  Pour dressing over salad and stir well to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add feta cheese just before serving. Serve cold or at room temperature.  Make up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate until serving.  Enjoy!