Today was one of those days for me. Not because it was perfect but I have a few ideas why...
1.Yesterday I learned that I can graduate on time in Spring 2012. Still buzzin' off that info.
2.It's a Thursday (I lalalalove Thursdays because I always have time to cook a new recipe! And I have NO night class!)
3.I finished up some ceramic pieces, and started a really interesting new one. Hint: It's an unconventional jewelry box...
4.I start student teaching tomorrow!
So there's a little update on my currently fabulous life, now onto my dinner delight. Let's take a little trip down memory lane first...
Minnesota is known for the North Shore's beauty...
Not necessarily it's fine cuisine consumed while hiking around it though...
But I am a food blogger so of course I found some inspiration.
These pictures somehow = WILD RICE!
I love wild rice and thankfully it loves me back...
Health Benefits of Wild Rice:
- Low in fat
- High in fiber
- Excellent source of B vitamins
- Mineral rich, particularly zinc and potassium
- Low-Calorie Carbohydrate 1 cup of cooked rice = 130 calories
The perfect Minnesotan food. Nice and hearty for the crisp fall months and the freezing winter months. I decided to try my hand at making Wild Rice Soup. This is another one of those dishes, like tuna wraps, that I really looked forward to when I lived in the dorms.
Of course, the stuff I ate in the dorms probably came from a jug and contained lots of whole cream, butter, and preservatives. Oh, and some chicken chunks. Sadly for my taste buds these are all things I now try to reduce my intake of.
Not so sadly for my taste buds, I got some healthifying, veggifying, cookin' skillz! (Yes those are all words.)
Start by choppin' and sauteing some onion and garlic.
Next add some thickener...
Let it sizzle...
Add some veggies...
Just don't open the GIANT family size bag of peas on the wrong side...notice how the "resealable" part of this bag is not being utilized...there is a giant hole I ripped into it on the other end of the bag...fail.
Then add the best ingredient of all, the wild rice!
Also this what happens in college when you have no twist ties...
And voilà! You have some amazing hearty soup to take the edge off of the crisp fall air.
If you insist on some more specific directions...
Sweet ‘n’ Spicy Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients:
1.5 cups cooked wild rice
2 Tbsp EVOO
½ Onion
2 Garlic Cloves
3 Tbsp Whole Wheat Flour
1.5 cups Vegetable Broth (I made mine using bullion cubes)
1 cup Almond Milk (or soy, rice, regular milk)
½ cup Broccoli
½ cup Peas
salt+pepper to taste
¼ tsp Ginger
¼-1/2 tsp Nutmeg
½ tsp Fresh Rosemary
Toppings:
Celery
Craisins
Walnuts
Directions:
1. Prepare Rice according to directions on package (I cooked one cup DRY rice in 3 ½ cups water for 55 minutes, although this makes more rice than the recipe calls for.)
2. In a medium pot, sauté garlic and onion in oil until golden.
3. Add flour, salt, pepper, and spices and stir into the pot gradually. Making sure to mix evenly and leaving no chunks of flour.
4. Whisk in 1.5 cups broth a little at a time, again making sure no chunks are formed.
5. Cook on low heat until thick, stirring often. Do NOT boil.
6. Stir in milk, peas, broccoli, and rice.
7. Let simmer (do not let it boil) for about 10 minutes.
8. Top with fresh celery, craisins, and walnuts.
Now don't worry this soup isn't spicy as in hot, I mean spicy as in rosemary packs a punch! The contrast of the spices with the sweet craisins is truly delightful. I could go on and on about how the different aspects of this soup combined with the toppings was oh.so.good. but it would take too long...you're better off just making the soup for yourself! This is honestly one of my favorite things I have ever cooked. Mainly because I have been terrified to try and make a thick and creamy soup...try and stop me now creamy soups.
I already have about 37,983 ideas for variations on this soup...of course one includes squash!
I loved my Earl Grey so much with my breakfast this morning I decided to have another cup.
Match made in heaven...
Now that was Mmm' Mmm' Good!
Especially because I have no fear in my mind about my thighs increasing in size from all the added fat and heavy cream, or of suffering health issues from all the added preservatives, or even of having a heart attack from consuming so much sodium.
Ahh I miss the fine cuisine of the dorms so much...NOT. Haha well I am now currently "suffering" from the soup sweats (you know...like an ice cream headache only reversed, you eat your hot soup so fast you start sweatin' :) so I'm off to put on an extra layer of deodorant before I head off to work!
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