Busy, Stressed and Out of Oven Space? The Perfect Healthy Holiday Side!

By Holly Clegg –

Turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes—how much oven space do you have? Cooking and reheating with limited oven space can place added stress on the holiday cook. Check out your menu and include this mouth-watering Wild Rice Fruit Pilaf as this tasty side is prepared on the stovetop! The perfect side addition to every holiday meal. Delectable, colorful and flavorful, this recipe includes all your holiday favorites. Wild rice adds a delicious nutty flavor while the cranberries give it that tart touch of sweetness and you will love the crunch of the toasty walnuts, all boosting the nutrition in this festive dish. I always keep the Holland House Cooking Wines in my panty for convenience. You never have to worry about opening a bottle of sherry and if you like the taste of sherry, there is no need to drain the dried fruit after soaking – you can add the sherry to the cooked rice along with the fruit. For more holiday recipes, visit www.hollyclegg.com

Wild Rice Fruit Pilaf from Holly Clegg trim&TERRIFIC Home Entertaining: The Easy Way

Wild and brown rice give this rich pilaf a nutritional boost, the dried fruit adds a touch of sweetness, and the walnuts give it a toasty crunch.

Makes 10-12 servings

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 6 cups canned beef broth
• 1 1/4 cups wild rice
• 1 1/4 cups brown rice
• 1 cup dried cranberries, cherries or a mixture
• 1/4 cup Holland House Cooking sherry
• 1 cup chopped green onion
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup walnut halves, toasted
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. In large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion, cook, stirring, until tender, 3-5 minutes.

2. Add beef broth, wild rice, brown rice, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, simmer, until rice is tender, 45-60 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in small bowl, add dried fruit and sherry, let sit 10 minutes, drain fruit. When rice is done, stir in reserved fruit, green onions, parsley, walnuts, thyme, salt and pepper to taste.

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories 208, Protein (g) 7, Carbohydrate (g) 37, Fat (g) 4, Calories from fat (%) 16, Saturated Fat (g) 0, Dietary Fiber (g) 3, Cholesterol (mg) 0, Sodium (mg) 517, Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 fruit, 1/2 fat

Holly Clegg, author of best-selling trim&TERRIFIC® cookbook series, including the women’s lifestyle cookbook, Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle at Any Age, and also the specialized trim&TERRIFIC® Diabetic Cooking and Eating Well Through Cancer. With 1 million copies sold, Holly has promoted her healthy lifestyle recipes on Fox & Friends, NBC Weekend Today, and The 700 Club. Known as the healthy “Queen of Quick,” she understands the demands of the busy person and with her user friendly, pantry friendly, and time friendly cookbooks. For more information, visit www.hollyclegg.com or http://thehealthycookingblog.com