My relationship with this simple but tasty recipe began when I found I had a spare turkey in my freezer. I know that sounds strange, and if you are not living in the United States then you might not understand the whole turkey/Thanksgiving deal, but the point here is that most supermarkets in November have outrageous deals on turkey - in this case it was buy one and then get one free. So nearly a year later I found the free turkey in the depths of my freezer and decided to smoke it in my Weber kettle BBQ. To go with it I wanted some summery side dishes and I found this recipe in my copy of ‘The Great Aussie Barbie Cookbook’ by Kim Terakes and decided to adapt it to my needs.
Ingredients – serves 6/8:
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries (or raisins will do)
- 2 tbsp white wine
- 1 packet (250g/9oz) long grain and wild rice ( I used Uncle Ben’s Express)
- 2/3 cup frozen sweetcorn kernels
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 spring (green) onions, white and pale green parts only, finely sliced
- 1 small green capsicum (bell pepper), diced
- 1 small red capsicum (bell pepper), diced
- 1 cup coriander leaves (cilantro), chopped
Method:
- Soak the cranberries in the wine for 30 minutes then drain and set aside.
- Cook the rice according to the packet instructions - you should end up with a little over 1 cup. Drain (if necessary) and put aside to cool.
- Cook the sweetcorn according to the packet instructions, drain and set aside to cool.
- Lightly toast the almonds and pine nuts in a dry non-stick frypan for a couple of minutes until lightly browned. Tip: keep an eagle eye on them as they will burn in a heartbeat.
- Combine the olive oil and vinegar in a small jug, add salt and pepper to taste and whisk well. Pour into a large salad bowl.
- Mix in the rice, cranberries, nuts and all the other ingredients and toss well in the dressing.
- Serve and enjoy!
Casserole
