Or, use this mixed grain pilaf to stuff an acorn squash or another oven-roasted fall squash for a colorful fall or Thanksgiving dinner entree.
What You'll Need
3/4 cup pearl barley
1/4 cup wild rice
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups water
1 cup orange juice
3/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
Optional: Feta cheese, greens for serving
How to Make It
In medium saucepan with lid, bring water to a boil. Add pearl barley, wild rice and salt; return to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook about 40 minutes or until barley is tender but chewy.
While the barley and wild rice mixture is cooking, pour the orange juice over the dried cranberries and set aside.
Drain any excess liquid from cooked barley and rice mixture. Place barley and wild rice in large bowl.
Drain cranberries, reserving 5 tablespoons orange juice. Toss cranberries with barley and wild rice.
Mix reserved orange juice with lemon juice and onion. Whisk in olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over barley mixture. Add chopped parsley and toasted walnuts; mix well.
If you're not eating vegan, you may want to top your cranberry pilaf off with a bit of crumbled feta cheese; or, to turn it into a salad for lunch, plate it with a few greens, either on a bed of butter lettuce or romaine lettuce leaves, or, some mesclun greens, arugula or kale italia.
Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Makes 6 servings.
