AnchorMommy

Wild Rice Quinoa Pilaf with Celery, Pear and Walnuts

November 29, 2011 by Shannon

Mmmm. Wild Rice Quinoa Pilaf. This is one of those dishes that just says fall to me. The pears and celery add a wonderful crispness to this pilaf, and the walnuts add a lovely crunch. And quinoa? You just can’t go wrong there. Lots of protein-y goodness. This dish is a wonderful main course or side, and reheats beautifully as lunch the day after.

Also, remember how excited I got about my first delivery day from Full Circle Farms? Well, this is one of the recipes I devised to use the organic celery and pear I received in my box. Anyway, here’s the recipe…

Wild Rice Quinoa Pilaf with Celery, Pear and Walnuts

• 1 cup wild rice
• 1 cup quinoa
• 3 stalks celery
• 1 pear (Bosc or D’anjou are fine), diced
• 1/2 large onion, minced
• Handful or two of chopped walnuts (toasted would be yummy, but plain is good too)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine wild rice with two cups boiling water. Cover and bake for one hour. Fluff with a fork and set aside. (You can complete this step ahead of time if you wish, or make a big batch for another meal and save some for the pilaf.) After rinsing the quinoa, add it to two cups of water in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil for about 15 minutes, then cover and remove from heat. Let stand for about five minutes. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Saute onions until almost translucent. Add celery and cook for about two minutes. Add the wild rice and quinoa and cook until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, mix in the diced pear and chopped walnuts. Enjoy!