Making pasta salads, which taste great warm or chilled, are a great meal option especially in the summer when you don’t want to have a heavy meal. And when the vegetables are fresh from the garden or local farmer’s market, it’s time for some pasta primavera.
I adore albacore tuna, especially when it’s packed in olive oil. Because there’s garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil coating the pasta and vegetables in this pasta primavera salad, it blends beautifully with the tuna.
Doesn’t it look absolutely delish!?! And it’s beyond simple to make.
To get started all you need is some of your favorite pasta, two of your favorite fresh, in-season vegetables, albacore tuna, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper. These eight ingredients will come together in less than 15 minutes of cooking time (all in the microwave, so you get to stay cool in the kitchen!).
To make garlic-infused olive oil couldn’t be simpler. Take some minced garlic (about 1 teaspoon) and put in a small bowl. Cover with 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and let it steep while you prepare the vegetables and pasta.
I chose to use sugar snap peas and baby lima beans, but you can use any fresh vegetables you love. I blanched them in the microwave by putting them in a glass bowl and lightly submerging in cold water. Cook them on high for 5 minutes and voila! Drain the water and rinse with cold water to stop them from cooking, which can cause them to lose color, nutrients. Set aside the vegetables while you cook the pasta.
The pasta cooks in the microwave on high in about 10 minutes (for 2 servings). Drain the water and put the pasta in a large mixing bowl.
Combine pasta with the vegetables and add the albacore tuna. Drizzle with the garlic-infused olive oil and toss to coat.
Season with salt and pepper and you’ve got a classic summer salad that’s perfect for a light lunch to enjoy at home or at the office. And for when you don’t have even 15 minutes to make lunch, you can still enjoy savory albacore tuna with sun-dried tomatoes and olive oil.
Yield: 2 - 4 servings (2 as entree or 4 as side dish)
Ingredients
15 ounces baby lima beans
4 ounces sugar snap peas
1/2 pound uncooked mini farfalle pasta
5 ounces (2 packages) Bumble Bee Prime Fillet Albacore Tuna with Sundried Tomatoes & Olive Oil
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, season to taste
Instructions
Put the minced garlic in a small condiment cup or bowl. Pour in the extra virgin olive oil and set aside. The garlic will infuse itself in the olive oil while you prepare the vegetables and pasta.
Blanch the lima beans and sugar snap peas in a microwavable bowl. Add enough water to cover vegetables; microwave on high for 5 minutes. Remove from microwave and drain. Rinse with cold water, drain and set aside.
Using a pasta cooker for the microwave, follow pasta package directions to prepare. For 1/2 pound of mini farfalle pasta, cook on high for 10 minutes. If you don't have a microwave pasta cooker, use a glass or microwave safe bowl. Put pasta in bowl and cover with water. Do not overfill; all pasta should be lightly submerged. Do NOT put a cover on the bowl; that will cause it to boil over before it's done cooking.
Drain the cooked pasta. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in the vegetables. Add the Bumble Bee Prime Fillet Albacore Tuna. Drizzle the garlic-infused olive oil over the pasta and vegetables. Stir until all ingredients are well coated. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
Notes
Adapted from Nigella Lawson's Pasta Primavera Salad, 2003.
Have you ever bought an ingredient in bulk at Sam’s Club or Costco only to wonder weeks later just how you’re going to use it all? Yep, me too. More often than I care to admit. My latest “bulk buy” was a mega-huge-monster-sized bag of Pecorino Romano cheese. Luckily, I love the taste of Pecorino Romano and it lasts a long time in the fridge or freezer. But because this mammoth-sized container of CHEESE has been staring at me every time I open the refrigerator, I’ve been challenged to come up with new recipes worthy of this great ingredient.
When I heard that today was National Pistachio Day (and I LOVE me some pistachios), I decided I’d whip up some pistachio-pecorino flatbread for lunch. I had some leftover turkey breast that I could shred for protein and some delicious sun-dried tomatoes that would be a great accent flavor. It was only 9:30 am but already I was psyched for lunch!
I used a package of Pillsbury® Original Crescents. Just unroll the dough on a prepared baking sheet. Brush with extra virgin olive oil and season with parsley flakes and Italian seasoning. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Then remove from the oven and cover with shredded turkey breast, diced sun-dried tomatoes and generous amounts of shredded Pecorino Romano cheese. Note: in the photographs, you’ll notice I used grated Pecorino Romano cheese, which was fine but tended to fall off the flatbread. I’d recommend using shredded Pecorino instead so it has a chance to “hang on” to the flatbread better.
Pop it back in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Then sprinkle with chopped pistachio and you’ve got a great lunch for 2 to 3 — or apps for 4 to 6 folks. This would also be a great (and super quick) Academy Awards viewing party appetizer. Just saying. Enjoy!
Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unroll the dough and arrange the crescent dinner rolls on the baking sheet so they are lying flat.
Drizzle each with olive oil. Using the back of a spoon, spread the olive oil to cover the tops. Sprinkle lightly with Italian seasoning and chopped parsley. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until light golden brown. Remove from oven.
Place shredded turkey breast evenly on each flatbread piece. Sprinkle with diced sun-dried tomatoes and cover generously with cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Serve immediately.
My immediately family is quite large. When we get together over the holidays, it’s like a yule tide flash mob has descended on Grandma’s house! Feeding this army can be a challenge, but we manage by dividing and conquering the holiday menu.
Grandma makes the turkey and dressing. My sister-in-law makes the desserts. My sister makes cheesy potatoes with help from my nieces. My brothers and I make assorted menu items to complete the smorgasbord. This year, I wanted to make a wild rice dish because my dad, who died in 1995, loved having wild rice at the holidays. Wild rice can take quite a while to cook, so it’s perfect for the slow cooker, which is great for transporting a hot dish on a road trip to Grandma’s.
I almost put bacon in this recipe, but because I was traveling with the dish I decided to go with Italian sausage instead. Bacon would have been great, but you wouldn’t want to put it in the dish until 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve. Otherwise it would lose it crunchiness. I’ve also tried versions of this recipe with vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, but I find in general that vegetable broth has such a subtle flavor that it doesn’t hold up against the earthiness of wild rice. So a chicken (or turkey) broth is a better option.
For me the star ingredients are the edamame (possibly my favorite vegetable – after potatoes, of course!) and the sun-dried tomatoes. Sun-dried tomatoes pack a lot of flavor and it adds a nice counter-punch to the wild rice. This recipe makes at least 16 servings (I was feeding an army, remember), so if you have a smaller group just halve the recipe for your brood.
4 1/2 cups uncooked blend of wild rice, brown rice and red rice
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
42 ounces chicken broth
16 ounces edamame, shelled
16 ounces bulk Italian sausage
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
Instructions
In a medium skillet, brown the Italian sausage and break into chunks. Cook thoroughly and remove from heat.
In a 6-quart slow cooker, mix all the ingredients. Stir to incorporate, then cover and cook on high heat for about 1 hour. Stir again. Set heat to low and cook for another 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
Making pasta salads, which taste great warm or chilled, are a great meal option especially in the summer when you don’t want to have a heavy meal. And when the vegetables are fresh from the garden or local farmer’s market, it’s time for some pasta primavera.
I adore albacore tuna, especially when it’s packed in olive oil. Because there’s garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil coating the pasta and vegetables in this pasta primavera salad, it blends beautifully with the tuna.
Doesn’t it look absolutely delish!?! And it’s beyond simple to make.
To get started all you need is some of your favorite pasta, two of your favorite fresh, in-season vegetables, albacore tuna, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper. These eight ingredients will come together in less than 15 minutes of cooking time (all in the microwave, so you get to stay cool in the kitchen!).
To make garlic-infused olive oil couldn’t be simpler. Take some minced garlic (about 1 teaspoon) and put in a small bowl. Cover with 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and let it steep while you prepare the vegetables and pasta.
I chose to use sugar snap peas and baby lima beans, but you can use any fresh vegetables you love. I blanched them in the microwave by putting them in a glass bowl and lightly submerging in cold water. Cook them on high for 5 minutes and voila! Drain the water and rinse with cold water to stop them from cooking, which can cause them to lose color, nutrients. Set aside the vegetables while you cook the pasta.
The pasta cooks in the microwave on high in about 10 minutes (for 2 servings). Drain the water and put the pasta in a large mixing bowl.
Combine pasta with the vegetables and add the albacore tuna. Drizzle with the garlic-infused olive oil and toss to coat.
Season with salt and pepper and you’ve got a classic summer salad that’s perfect for a light lunch to enjoy at home or at the office. And for when you don’t have even 15 minutes to make lunch, you can still enjoy savory albacore tuna with sun-dried tomatoes and olive oil.
Yield: 2 - 4 servings (2 as entree or 4 as side dish)
Ingredients
15 ounces baby lima beans
4 ounces sugar snap peas
1/2 pound uncooked mini farfalle pasta
5 ounces (2 packages) Bumble Bee Prime Fillet Albacore Tuna with Sundried Tomatoes & Olive Oil
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, season to taste
Instructions
Put the minced garlic in a small condiment cup or bowl. Pour in the extra virgin olive oil and set aside. The garlic will infuse itself in the olive oil while you prepare the vegetables and pasta.
Blanch the lima beans and sugar snap peas in a microwavable bowl. Add enough water to cover vegetables; microwave on high for 5 minutes. Remove from microwave and drain. Rinse with cold water, drain and set aside.
Using a pasta cooker for the microwave, follow pasta package directions to prepare. For 1/2 pound of mini farfalle pasta, cook on high for 10 minutes. If you don't have a microwave pasta cooker, use a glass or microwave safe bowl. Put pasta in bowl and cover with water. Do not overfill; all pasta should be lightly submerged. Do NOT put a cover on the bowl; that will cause it to boil over before it's done cooking.
Drain the cooked pasta. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in the vegetables. Add the Bumble Bee Prime Fillet Albacore Tuna. Drizzle the garlic-infused olive oil over the pasta and vegetables. Stir until all ingredients are well coated. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
Notes
Adapted from Nigella Lawson's Pasta Primavera Salad, 2003.
When summer heats up, the last thing I want to do is make things even steamier by cooking over a hot stove or cranking up the oven to get a meal ready. Yet, I do want to prepare a nutritious and satisfying dish. So I rely on my microwave even more to whip up a delicious meal for myself or friends and family. And it keeps my kitchen – and me – feeling cool.
I recently learned how to cook pasta in the microwave. Yes, I bought the not-so-fancy plastic pasta cooker I saw on television but you could easily cook almost any pasta with a microwave-safe glass bowl. It’s so simple, I can’t believe I never thought of it before.
Making pasta salads, which taste great warm or chilled, are a great meal option especially in the summer when you don’t want to have a heavy meal. And when the vegetables are fresh from the garden or local farmer’s market, it’s time for some pasta primavera. Pasta Primavera Summer Salad pairs perfectly with Bumble Bee® Prime Fillet®Gourmet Flavors Albacore Tuna with Sundried Tomatoes and Olive Oil.
I adore albacore tuna, especially when it’s packed in olive oil. Because there’s garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil coating the pasta and vegetables in this pasta primavera salad, it blends beautifully with the tuna.
Doesn’t it look absolutely delish!?! And it’s beyond simple to make.
To get started all you need is some of your favorite pasta, two of your favorite fresh, in-season vegetables, Bumble Bee® Albacore Tuna, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper. These eight ingredients will come together in less than 15 minutes of cooking time (all in the microwave, so you get to stay cool in the kitchen!).
To make garlic-infused olive oil couldn’t be simpler. Take some minced garlic (about 1 teaspoon) and put in a small bowl. Cover with 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and let it steep while you prepare the vegetables and pasta.
I chose to use sugar snap peas and baby lima beans, but you can use any fresh vegetables you love. I blanched them in the microwave by putting them in a glass bowl and lightly submerging in cold water. Cook them on high for 5 minutes and voila! Drain the water and rinse with cold water to stop them from cooking, which can cause them to lose color, nutrients. Set aside the vegetables while you cook the pasta.
The pasta cooks in the microwave on high in about 10 minutes (for 2 servings). Drain the water and put the pasta in a large mixing bowl.
Those sundried tomatoes and sugar snap peas almost make you want to dive in with your fingers…..
…..but be civilized and use a fork!
Season with salt and pepper and you’ve got a classic summer salad that’s perfect for a light lunch to enjoy at home or at the office. And for when you don’t have even 15 minutes to make lunch, you can still enjoy savory albacore tuna with sundried tomatoes and olive oil. Bumble Bee® Prime Fillet® comes in a very portable single serve pouch. Just grab it and go.
Share which type of pasta, fresh vegetables and Bumble Bee® tuna you’d use to create your own version of the perfect Pasta Primavera Summer Salad in the comments section below.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Yield: 2 - 4 servings (2 as entree or 4 as side dish)
Ingredients
15 ounces baby lima beans
4 ounces sugar snap peas
1/2 pound uncooked mini farfalle pasta
5 ounces (2 packages) Bumble Bee Prime Fillet Albacore Tuna with Sundried Tomatoes & Olive Oil
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, season to taste
Instructions
Put the minced garlic in a small condiment cup or bowl. Pour in the extra virgin olive oil and set aside. The garlic will infuse itself in the olive oil while you prepare the vegetables and pasta.
Blanch the lima beans and sugar snap peas in a microwavable bowl. Add enough water to cover vegetables; microwave on high for 5 minutes. Remove from microwave and drain. Rinse with cold water, drain and set aside.
Using a pasta cooker for the microwave, follow pasta package directions to prepare. For 1/2 pound of mini farfalle pasta, cook on high for 10 minutes. If you don't have a microwave pasta cooker, use a glass or microwave safe bowl. Put pasta in bowl and cover with water. Do not overfill; all pasta should be lightly submerged. Do NOT put a cover on the bowl; that will cause it to boil over before it's done cooking.
Drain the cooked pasta. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in the vegetables. Add the Bumble Bee Prime Fillet Albacore Tuna. Drizzle the garlic-infused olive oil over the pasta and vegetables. Stir until all ingredients are well coated. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
Notes
Adapted from Nigella Lawson's Pasta Primavera Salad, 2003.
Have you ever bought an ingredient in bulk at Sam’s Club or Costco only to wonder weeks later just how you’re going to use it all? Yep, me too. More often than I care to admit. My latest “bulk buy” was a mega-huge-monster-sized bag of Pecorino Romano cheese. Luckily, I love the taste of Pecorino Romano and it lasts a long time in the fridge or freezer. But because this mammoth-sized container of CHEESE has been staring at me every time I open the refrigerator, I’ve been challenged to come up with new recipes worthy of this great ingredient.
When I heard that today was National Pistachio Day (and I LOVE me some pistachios), I decided I’d whip up some pistachio-pecorino flatbread for lunch. I had some leftover turkey breast that I could shred for protein and some delicious sun-dried tomatoes that would be a great accent flavor. It was only 9:30 am but already I was psyched for lunch!
I used a package of Pillsbury® Original Crescents. Just unroll the dough on a prepared baking sheet. Brush with extra virgin olive oil and season with parsley flakes and Italian seasoning. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Then remove from the oven and cover with shredded turkey breast, diced sun-dried tomatoes and generous amounts of shredded Pecorino Romano cheese. Note: in the photographs, you’ll notice I used grated Pecorino Romano cheese, which was fine but tended to fall off the flatbread. I’d recommend using shredded Pecorino instead so it has a chance to “hang on” to the flatbread better.
Pop it back in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Then sprinkle with chopped pistachio and you’ve got a great lunch for 2 to 3 — or apps for 4 to 6 folks. This would also be a great (and super quick) Academy Awards viewing party appetizer. Just saying. Enjoy!
Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unroll the dough and arrange the crescent dinner rolls on the baking sheet so they are lying flat.
Drizzle each with olive oil. Using the back of a spoon, spread the olive oil to cover the tops. Sprinkle lightly with Italian seasoning and chopped parsley. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until light golden brown. Remove from oven.
Place shredded turkey breast evenly on each flatbread piece. Sprinkle with diced sun-dried tomatoes and cover generously with cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Serve immediately.
With the arrival of the new year, like many of you I am looking to recalibrate my food choices to make up for the over indulgence of holiday goodies. One of my go-to ingredients is boneless, skinless chicken breast. I’m also trying to make good use of my slow cooker, so I have more time to shovel snow! I’d be joking if we hadn’t received 13+ inches of snow in the last 2 days with about 6 more inches to arrive over the next 24 hours. I guess that will be my cardio workout.
Before the snow storm hit, I made my way to my local Sam’s Club to stock up on pantry items. You can always find some really good deals on quality ingredients, and I love discovering new products. One of the new product lines that Sam’s Club is carrying in 2014 is NatureRaised Farms® Boneless, Skinless Chicken. If you’ve never heard of or used NatureRaised Farms® brand before, their products are quite remarkable.
I always prefer to focus on fewer, high-quality ingredients in a recipe to get the best flavor and nutrients possible. That goes for any recipe, sweet or savory. The NatureRaised Farms® chickens are vegetarian-fed, antibiotic-free and cage-free. There are no fillers, preservatives or artificial colors either. So I picked up a few packages of the Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts to make a big ole batch of Crock Pot Chicken Vesuvio, Family-Style. If you’d like to try the NatureRaised Farms® product before you buy, a select number of participating Sam’s Clubs will have in-store product demonstrations on January 4. Or for more information about NatureRaised Farms®, visit their website or find them on Facebook and Twitter.
The Origin of Chicken Vesuvio
It may surprise you that Chicken Vesuvio was born in Chicago. It’s an Italian-American dish typically made from chicken on the bone and wedges of potato. Both are sautéed with garlic, oregano, olive oil and white wine, then baked until the chicken’s skin becomes crisp. The dish would often be garnished with green peas for color. In many Chicago restaurants, you’ll often find the “Vesuvio” technique applied to other foods like Steak Vesuvio or Vesuvio Potatoes. The origins of the dish are widely attributed to the Vesuvio Restaurant, which operated on Chicago’s Wacker Drive in the 1930’s. The original recipe can be a bit heavy, because of the richness of certain ingredients, including olive oil, white wine and lots of potatoes.
Crock Pot Chicken Vesuvio
I wanted to make a Chicken Vesuvio that offered a healthier option by using a healthier cut of chicken (skinless) and lower-sodium broth, as well as replacing some of the potatoes with other nutrient-rich vegetables that pack a real flavor punch, like edamame, sun-dried tomatoes and sweet peppers. And by using a crock pot to cook the dish instead of the oven, it uses far less oil, chicken broth and wine. That makes this Crock Pot Chicken Vesuvio more moist and delicious.
I always find it easier to execute a new recipe by getting all of my ingredients in order: mise en place. “Mise en place” is a French phrase which means literally “putting in place,” as in set up. In addition to the protein-rich, all-natural chicken, the other star ingredients of Crock Pot Chicken Vesuvio are:
new, red potatoes
sun-dried tomatoes
sweet red and yellow peppers
and my favorite, edamame!
Use a sharp chef’s knife to Julienne the peppers and sun-dried tomatoes, as well as quarter the potatoes. Julienning is a simple technique that cuts food into short, thin strips. It not only looks great (we eat with our eyes first!) but also reduces the cooking time, while ensuring even cooking.
To get started, preheat a frying pan – lightly brushed with canola oil – on medium high heat. I used the sautée and browning setting on my 3-in-1 slow cooker, so I had one less dirty pan to wash. Score another point for Crock Pot Chicken Vesuvio! Take a barbecue or pastry brush and lightly coat one side of each chicken breast with canola oil. Then season the first side of the chicken breasts with a pinch each of salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning. Put the chicken breasts in the prepared pan, seasoned side down. Then repeat with canola oil and seasonings for the remaining sides of each chicken breast. Brown both sides of the chicken breasts (about 6 minutes per side).
Place the potatoes, edamame, peppers and sun-dried tomatoes inside the crock pot. Add the onion, garlic and remaining salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning. Pour in the chicken broth and white wine. [Because this dish requires less than a cup of white wine, I recommend picking a bottle of your favorite white wine to pair with this dinner. After pouring the half cup for the recipe, save the rest of the bottle to have with dinner!]
Gently stir until the ingredients are combined. Top the vegetables with the chicken breasts and cook for 3 hours on HIGH. You see, Crock Pot Chicken Vesuvio is really that easy!
Yield: 4 servings (1 chicken breast and approximately 1 cup of vegetables, each)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound small, red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 4 or 6 wedges each
12 ounces edamame, shelled
1 cup sweet yellow and red peppers, julienned
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
3 tablespoons minced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley, optional garnish
Instructions
Lightly coat a frying pan with canola oil and place on a stovetop burner, set at medium high. Warm the pan for a minute; you want it hot to properly sear the chicken breasts.
Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel. Using a barbecue or pastry brush, lightly coat the top of each breast with a thin layer of canola oil. Season with one pinch each of sea salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning. Place the chicken breasts in the hot frying pan, seasoned side down, and cook for about 6 minutes.
Immediately coat the remaining side of each chicken breast with canola oil. Again, season with one pinch each of sea salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning. Cover the pan with its lid until you're ready to turn the chicken breasts. After you turn the chicken breasts, cook for another 6 minutes, or until browned on both sides.
Place the potatoes, edamame, peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, onion, garlic and remaining sea salt, black pepper and Italian seasonings in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add chicken broth and white wine. Gently stir to immerse vegetables evenly in the broth-wine mixture. This will help the vegetables to properly steam and cook evenly. Top the vegetables with the chicken breasts.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 to 3 1/2 hours (or LOW for 6 to 7 hours), or until chicken and potatoes are tender.
Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a serving plate. Top with juices from the slow cooker. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, if desired.
My immediately family is quite large. When we get together over the holidays, it’s like a yule tide flash mob has descended on Grandma’s house! Feeding this army can be a challenge, but we manage by dividing and conquering the holiday menu.
Grandma makes the turkey and dressing. My sister-in-law makes the desserts. My sister makes cheesy potatoes with help from my nieces. My brothers and I make assorted menu items to complete the smorgasbord. This year, I wanted to make a wild rice dish because my dad, who died in 1995, loved having wild rice at the holidays. Wild rice can take quite a while to cook, so it’s perfect for the slow cooker, which is great for transporting a hot dish on a road trip to Grandma’s.
I almost put bacon in this recipe, but because I was traveling with the dish I decided to go with Italian sausage instead. Bacon would have been great, but you wouldn’t want to put it in the dish until 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve. Otherwise it would lose it crunchiness. I’ve also tried versions of this recipe with vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, but I find in general that vegetable broth has such a subtle flavor that it doesn’t hold up against the earthiness of wild rice. So a chicken (or turkey) broth is a better option.
For me the star ingredients are the edamame (possibly my favorite vegetable – after potatoes, of course!) and the sun-dried tomatoes. Sun-dried tomatoes pack a lot of flavor and it adds a nice counter-punch to the wild rice. This recipe makes at least 16 servings (I was feeding an army, remember), so if you have a smaller group just halve the recipe for your brood.
4 1/2 cups uncooked blend of wild rice, brown rice and red rice
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
42 ounces chicken broth
16 ounces edamame, shelled
16 ounces bulk Italian sausage
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
Instructions
In a medium skillet, brown the Italian sausage and break into chunks. Cook thoroughly and remove from heat.
In a 6-quart slow cooker, mix all the ingredients. Stir to incorporate, then cover and cook on high heat for about 1 hour. Stir again. Set heat to low and cook for another 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
