Cranberry-Apple Wild Rice Salad

Cranberry-Apple Wild Rice Salad

A healthy- delicious fall salad with cranberries, apples & wild rice-drizzled with a tangy orange vinaigrette.

Hello, friends!

I know.

All of the other bloggers in blog land are already talking Christmas. We will be too.

Next week. And trust me. It will be well worth the wait cause’ this girls favorite holiday is Christmas and we’re going to have TONS of inspiration!

But this week it’s all about my ‘second’ favorite holiday.

Thanksgiving!

Because who doesn’t LOVE all that amazing food, fellowship, and family!

Of course, like so many things this year, Thanksgiving is going to be quite a bit different than previous years due to Covid concerns.

Michael is an essential worker, which makes it is impossible for us to self-quarantine so we can be with our families over the holiday. Especially now since we have two babies in the family, and of course our elderly parents to think about.

So, I guess it’s just going to be the two of us this year. Thank goodness for Facetime! 🙂

Since it is going to be just the two of us, I’m paring down the menu just a wee bit too! Obviously, we don’t need to cook up a whole 20 lb turkey like we normally do, so yes, there will be some adjustments.

Today I’m going to be sharing one of the recipes we’ll be enjoying-Cranberry Apple Wild Rice Salad. But before I do, let’s talk about that menu for a moment. Because I’m sure we aren’t the only ones whose guest list will be a bit smaller. And if so, you might be re-thinking your menu too!

cooking for a small group

Whether it’s just one, two, or six people in your immediate family, adjusting your usual Thanksgiving menu isn’t as easy as it might seem. No worries-I’m here to help!

Let’s start with that turkey!

The usual portion size per person for turkey is 1 1/2 lbs.

We plan on having a turkey. Not our usual 20 lb turkey, of course. But it’s tradition in our home, so I’ll be aiming for a 6-10 lb bird which will give us plenty of leftovers!

You could also opt for one of the other traditional choices too:

• Cornish hen (1 per person)
• Ham (3 lbs feeds 4-6 people)
• Turkey Breast (6 lbs will feed 6 people)

Of course, there is always non-traditional entree choices as well:

• Pork Tenderloin (1/2 lb per person)
• Roast Lamb (1 lb per person)
• Standing Rib Roast ( one rib per person)
• Lasagna ( 8 people)

 What about those sides?

• Mashed Potatoes (1/2 lb per person)
• Carrots (1 lb per 4 people)
• Stuffing (3/4 cup per person)
• Gravy (1/3 cup per person)
• Cranberry sauce (16 oz can will serve about 6 people)
• Squash (1 butternut squash serves 6 people)
• Brussel Sprouts (4 sprouts per serving)
• Green Bean Casserole ( Campbells’ classic recipe serves 6 people)

Or  something a bit  more  non-traditional:

• Macaroni & Cheese (9×13 pan will serve 8 people)
• Potatoes Au gratin ( 2 qt casserole will serve 8 people)
• Cauliflower ( One head serves 4-6 people)
• Rice Pilaf (1 cup of dry rice serve 4 people)

And today’s recipe for Cranberry-Apple Wild Rice Salad!

I chose this salad to serve alongside our traditional squash casserole because not only is it D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S, it is also healthy too! And we all need a little healthy around the holidays, am I right? I also like it because I can adjust the portion size quite easily.

What you’ll need for this recipe

• Wild Rice
• Dried Cranberries
• Apple
• Chopped Walnut
• Onion
• Parsley
• Celery
• Chicken Broth

Now you can definitely use store-bought dried cranberries. But they usually have a bit more sugar added, and since fresh cranberries are abundant this time of year, I choose to dry my own.

how to dry cranberries:

(I have a dehydrate setting on my oven as well as a dehydrator. But just in case you don’t here are directions for using an oven.

Preheat oven to 200. Place your cranberries in a large bowl. Fill a medium saucepan with water. Place it on the stovetop and bring to a boil. Pour boiling water over the cranberries. Let them sit for a couple of minutes. Pour the cranberries into a colander. Most of them will have popped and shrunk up a bit, but some will not. Pour the cranberries onto a  paper towel-lined surface. Pat gently to dry. Place the cranberries onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pop any cranberries that have not opened with a sharp knife. Bake in the oven for 3-3 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and allow to sit out uncovered overnight.

NOTE: These cranberries will be tart as I do not add sugar to them. If you want more sweetened cranberries I would just buy them already dried.

Wild rice can often take a LONG time to cook! You could soak it overnight to shorten the time, but instead, I just use a box of Rice a Roni’s Long Grain and Wild Rice.

It makes about 2 cups of rice in about 20 minutes! To add more flavor I substitute 2/3 cup of chicken broth for the water needed.

I also buy walnuts that are already chopped and then I toast them in a pan to bring out all their yummy goodness!

And then I mix everything up in a big bowl! Now it’s time to ‘dress’ this salad up a bit!

This orange vinaigrette has just the right amount of tang and adds a bit of ‘zip’ to the salad!

I like to add the dressing to the salad and let it sit a few hours before serving! That way everything has time to meld together and you get the MAXIMUM flavor!

Here’s the full recipe!

You can also save time and make this salad the day before. It keeps well in the refrigerator and like I mentioned gets better the longer it sits!

We didn’t talk desserts but if you’re looking for something other than pie, here are a few delicious pumpkin choices!

I hope you enjoy today’s recipe for Cranberry-Apple Wild Rice Salad. And I hope you found the food portion information helpful too!

However and whoever you celebrate Thanksgiving with, I hope it is a day filled with many blessings and an abundance of yummy food!

 

Thank you so much for stopping by!