Turkey With Wild Rice Squash And Cranberries Recipes

WILD RICE WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat (that has a tight fitting lid). Add onions and cook until softened. Add garlic and rice and cook one additional minute.
• Add all remaining Wild Rice ingredients to the skillet. Cover and reduce heat to low. Gently simmer 45-60 minutes, or until rice is tender, stirring and replacing lid occasionally towards the end of cooking. Add additional water if rice has absorbed all the liquid and is still not done cooking. Check for doneness at 45 minutes. Once rice is tender, remove from heat (with lid on) and let steam 10 additional minutes (this will make for fluffier rice).
• While rice is cooking, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Add butternut squash to a foil lined baking sheet (for easy cleanup). Drizzle squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss squash until evenly coated then line in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F, or until tender.
• Once rice is cooked, drain rice in a fine hole strainer if there is excess liquid (don't rinse) and add to serving bowl. Stir in roasted butternut squash, sliced almonds, pomegranate seeds, dried cranberries and feta. Toss to evenly combine. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

WILD RICE & LENTIL STUFFED DELICATA SQUASH WITH CRANBERRIES & PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Make the pilaf. Set a large saute pan with lid (or a medium dutch oven) over low heat. Add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until a few pieces of the rice start to get golden on the ends, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, 1 teaspoon curry powder, cumin, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for one more minute.
• Add 3 cups of the vegetable broth, the brown sugar, and the lentils. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer, stir, and cover. Set the timer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture begins to get too dry before being cooked all of the way, add additional broth. If the mixture seems too wet after cooking for awhile, vent the pan to help some of the liquid evaporate. I've found making the pilaf is not an exact science as each pan is different, so just monitor your pilaf as it cooks. Pilaf is done when it's relatively dry and the lentils and rice are tender, about 40 minutes.
• Remove pilaf from heat and stir the dried cranberries and chopped pecans. Taste and add the remaining teaspoon of curry powder and more salt and pepper if you wish.
• Meanwhile, while the pilaf cooks, prepare the delicata squash. Cut the stems off the ends, half lengthwise, scrape the seeds out with a spoon, and brush the inside of each half with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place cut side down on a large baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, until fork-tender and golden around the edges. Remove from oven.
• When ready to serve, flip over the delicata squash and spoon pilaf into the squash halves. I like to mound it just a bit but not too much or serving will become interesting (as in messy). You may have some pilaf left over. Transfer to serving plate and sprinkle chopped parsley over the top. Serve.

SLOW-COOKER TURKEY BREAST STUFFED WITH WILD RICE AND CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• In large bowl, mix all ingredients except turkey. Cut turkey into slices at 1-inch intervals about three-fourths of the way through, forming deep pockets.
• In 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, place turkey. Stuff pockets with wild rice mixture. Place remaining rice mixture around edge of slow cooker.
• Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 9 hours or until juice of turkey is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F). Thermometer inserted in center of stuffing should read 165°F.