warm wild rice salad

today i want to offer something a little more warm and comforting in the winter than the raw kelp noodle salad i posted recently.  although this is a cooked dish (or at least has elements that require some advanced preparations) you could always plan ahead by using leftovers.  i made extra rice for dinner and roasted up an extra sweet potato so that it would be a quick fix for lunch.  then when it came time to make it, i simply reheated the rice and sweet potato in my rice cooker that has a handy warming function while i chopped the kale & bell pepper and prepared the dressing.

it's a wholesome, nutty dish and makes for a either a hearty mid-day meal or dinner.  the tangy mustard & balsamic dressing pairs really nicely too against the sweetness of the goji berries, bell pepper & sweet potato.

warm wild rice salald
serves 4
1 cup wild rice blend (i used my favourite lundberg blend, or you could use all brown rice)
1 sweet potato
1 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow bell pepper
1 cup kale
1/4 cup goji berries

prepare the rice as per package directions.  wash and peel the sweet potato & cut it into small cubes.  toss with oil in a small roasting pan and cook at 400f for 25-30 minutes (or until tender), stirring once. meanwhile, seed and dice the pepper and shred the kale.  give the goji berries a quick warm soak to rehydrate and then drain.  combine all ingredients together and drizzle with balsamic mustard dressing.  serve.

balsamic mustard dressing
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp maple syrup
pinch of sea salt (or i used herbamare)

i hope your week is off to a good start!  i've got lots going on this week, a big potluck tonight (sudbury friends i hope to see you there!), our final visit with the midwives (i might cry), i'm headed back to yoga (yay!) and some social visits planned too for mr. woodrow.  any big plans in your neck of the woods?