Wild Rice and Mushroom Salad for Whole Grain Sampling Day (+ a giveaway)

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The giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, Julie! I hope that you enjoy the whole grain goodies!

In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided a slew of whole grain products to sample, but was not otherwise compensated for this post. As always, all opinions are my own.

Like the 81% of Americans who are trying to include more whole grains in their diet, so, too, am I. I’m the 81 percent!

As such, I’ve been on a wild rice kick of late, making salads with the grain, adding it to soup, serving it alongside chicken and pork.

My family has a history of heart disease, and, not being a spring chicken any longer (darn you, middle age!), I have to start thinking about these things. Oh denial, I’ll miss you, but I do have to start facing facts over here. Eating an average of 2 ½ servings of whole grains per day can lower risk of cardiovascular disease by almost one-quarter, so, yeah, sign me up for that, please.

Wild rice does take a little longer to cook than white rice (and, yes, of course longer than that boil-in-bag stuff), but the nutty flavor is so worth it, and, in the case of workday lunches, it’s really filling – helping stave off the before dinner cheese and crackers attack. I know I’m not the only one who succumbs to the pre-dinner cheese fest – also not so good for the old ticker, so better to try and avoid it by filling up on less rich foods.

This salad strikes me as a bit of a healthy cheat, as it tastes a bit meaty. Mushrooms are good for that veggies-as-meat flavor, of course, and the addition of sundried tomatoes doesn’t hurt either. Even steak-loving JR scoffs this salad down. Try it. I think you’ll scoff it down, too.

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Giveaway details:

The Whole Grains Council is sponsoring a giveaway for one lucky reader of tiny farmhouse. The winner will receive the exact same slew of whole grain goodies that I received, including baking mix, granola, crackers, and, yes, even wild rice. And that’s just naming a few items.

  • Comment here:

To enter, please leave a comment below about your favorite whole grain product – could be bread, could be oatmeal, could be graham crackers, could be freekeh – you choose. Let me know how you like to enjoy your favorite whole grain in the comments section of this post, and you’re entered to win.

Please be sure to leave a method to reach you in your comment, either your email address or a Twitter account would be fab.

  • Or tweet:

For a second chance to win, tweet to the Whole Grains Council/Oldways (@OldwaysPT) and me (@poorgirlgourmet) about your favorite whole grain dish. Something along the lines of:  “Hey @OldwaysPT & @poorgirlgourmet, my favorite whole grain dish is ____! #WholeGrainsSampling” will do.

Feel free to be creative with it, though. So long as you tweet to us, let us know that you’re on board with whole grains and include the #WholeGrainsSampling hashtag, you’re entered to win.

The giveaway will run through Friday, April 11 at 11:59pm EST.

A winner will be drawn at random and will be announced by noon EST, Saturday, April 12.

Apologies to readers outside the United States, this giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. only.

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Wild Rice and Mushroom Salad for Whole Grain Sampling Day (+ a giveaway)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked wild rice, prepared according to manufacturer’s instructions
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • (1) 10 ounce package baby bella (cremini) mushrooms, washed, trimmed, then sliced in half lengthwise
  • ¼ cup coarsely chopped sundried tomatoes
  • ¼ cup chopped walnuts
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil, then add the shallot and thyme and sauté until the shallot is softened and translucent, 1 to 2 minutes.
  2. Add the mushrooms to the pan and sauté until the mushrooms are lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. While the mushrooms cook, transfer the cooked rice to a large serving bowl.
  4. Once the mushrooms are done, add them to the bowl with the rice. Add the sundried tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and stir well.
  5. Place ¼ of the salad on each of four plates, then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of walnuts over top of each salad, and serve it forth.

Notes

I used Goose Valley Natural Products Wild Rice for this dish.

As mentioned, this is a good workday lunch. Simply store in the refrigerator in an airtight container and dole out ¼ of the salad into a travel-ready container each day. Wait to top with the walnuts until you’re ready to eat to insure that you still get that nice walnut crunch.

http://www.tinyfarmhouse.com/2014/04/wild-rice-and-mushroom-salad-for-whole-grain-sampling-day-a-giveaway/

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55 Comments to Wild Rice and Mushroom Salad for Whole Grain Sampling Day (+ a giveaway)

  1. Danielle says:

    I love wheat berries because of they way they pop in your mouth when you chew them! They’re so versatile. Thanks!

  2. dana says:

    i love oatmeal with banana and peanut butter

  3. I love whole grain pastas because they are so versatile and can be used in a number of different cuisines! Just the other night I attempted my first ever Thai dish with whole grain noodles and lots of veggies. Easy to prepare, tasty, and I’m on a budget so it saved me some moolah! Can’t wait to try this recipe!

  4. edj3 says:

    I adore pancakes made with rolled oats but for oatmeal as a hot breakfast cereal, nothing beats steel cut oats. And you are killing me with this recipe, I have got to make it.

  5. Stacey says:

    We need to work on getting more whole grains into our diet as well… beyond my favorite of a morning bowl of oatmeal with fresh cranberries (in season), diced apples, walnuts and maple syrup.

    • Amy says:

      That’s one of my favorites, too, Stacey! Sometimes I add in a little crystallized ginger for extra kick. So good on those cool fall mornings!

  6. christi s. in ma says:

    I haven’t met a whole grain that I didn’t like! If I had to choose a favorite I’d go with old-fashioned or steel cut oats – with pumpkin, cinnamon and coconut milk. Or in a chunky lola cookie! LOL

  7. Shaina says:

    I’ve been extremely into barley lately! The other day my friend and I made a barley risotto with zucchini.

    • Amy says:

      Wow, that sounds so good, Shaina! And barley risotto is so versatile, you can try all sorts of combinations. I’m on a mushroom kick lately, and they’d be great in barley risotto. Thanks for sharing!

  8. I love making pancakes with whole wheat flour – healthier and still indulgent when slathered with jam!

    • Amy says:

      So true, Marnely! I saw that you aren’t a maple syrup fan, and I love that you use jam instead! I think I’ll have to give this a go this weekend!

  9. Tierney says:

    I’m a Minnesota native, so I love wild rice! The best use for it is in a cream wild rice soup with ham or chicken.

    • Amy says:

      Oooh, Tierney, what I wouldn’t give to be able to buy farm fresh wild rice! So cool! And your soup suggestion sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing!

  10. Amber says:

    My favorite whole grain is steel cut oats.

    • Amy says:

      I’m totally with you there, Amber. Steel cut oats are right up there with wild rice and whole wheat flour for me. Thank you for sharing!

  11. AnnaZed says:

    I adore brown rice. I almost never even eat the white kind any more. I make a pot at least pnce a week (sometimes twice) and have it with everything.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    margueritecore [at] gmail [dot] com

    I also love the look of your salad!

    • Amy says:

      I love your make-ahead plan. I’m going to have to copy you, because it makes it so much easier to have brown rice or wild rice during the week (plus, I love it as a base for lunch salads, as you can see!). Thank you for sharing, and please let me know what you think of the salad if you make it!

  12. AnnaZed says:

    I posted a tweet too (as @AnnaZed) https://twitter.com/AnnaZed/status/451578729681010688
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    margueritecore [at] gmail [dot] com

  13. I love a veggie wrap with any kind of grain, especially quinoa! :)

  14. latanya says:

    I love whole grain bread

    dlatany at gmail dot com

  15. David says:

    My favorite product made with whole grains is cereal. I eat a bowl every morning.

  16. betsy says:

    I love using quioa instead of white rice.

  17. rachel says:

    I heart oats :) I also love mixing oats and quinoa to toast up great granola!

  18. Diane says:

    love brown basmati rice with fresh mushrooms mixed in!

    • Amy says:

      We’re sharing a whole grain cravings brain, Diane! I love it! Mushrooms go so well with the nutty flavor of the rice, and fresh mushrooms make it even easier to prepare. Nice!

  19. Laura P. says:

    I love to make homemade granola and put a ton of whole grains in mine including oats, quinoa, hemp, chia, and toasted wheat germ! lpcraig at gmail dot com

  20. I use a lot of whole grains, and have a hard time choosing just one: brown rice, barley, wheat berries, einkorn, oats, rye. I grind my own grains (and roll my own oats) for making bread & pastries.

    • karengdelaney (at) yahoo {dot} com

    • Amy says:

      Karen, I hear you about choosing just one, it’s a tough job! How cool that you grind your own grains! What kind of mill do you use?

      • I won a WonderMill about a year ago, and it does a great job because it’s adjustable. I can do corn meal to fine pastry flour. We also have a small hand crank grain roller, so we also roll our own oats for oatmeal.

        • Amy says:

          Wow, that’s a pretty sweet prize, Karen! I checked it out, and now (shocker) I want one! So cool! I love the idea of the hand crank grain roller, too. Hmmmmm…I’m putting a wish list together over here! Thank you for the info!

  21. Carolsue says:

    I like Whole Grain Quinoa & Lentil Wraps.

  22. Julie says:

    My favorite is oats. Thanks for a great giveaway

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