I am a sucker for butternut squash and it is the star of this gluten free Winter Rice Medley. Heavily spiced and roasted butternut squash, toasted almonds and cranberries dot earthy black rice for a fabulous side dish for any roasted meat or fish you can dream up. And although I call it “winter” rice medley because of the winter squash and cranberries, it is truly wonderful anytime of year.
Begin with the Rice
I recommend wild, black or purple rice for this dish. They all have wonderful flavor and texture and aren’t sticky. This allows the other ingredients to mix easily together giving you a little of everything in each bite. These types of rice do take longer to cook and the ratio of water to rice varies,, so check the package on your rice and adjust the recipe as needed.
Heat the chicken or vegetable stock to a boil in a saucepan, then stir in the rice & a little salt. Reduce the heat & cover. Allow it to cook until tender and the water has evaporated.
The Butternut Squash
Feel free to buy the pre-cut and cubed butternut squash. Otherwise peel and remove the seeds from a whole squash and cut into ½ inch cubes. Coat the squash evenly with olive oil then season with the spices. I like to heavily season them, but if you want to reduce the amount of any of the spices, feel free! With the quantities I have in this recipe, the result will have moderate heat from the chipotle powder.
Lay the squash out on a parchment lined sheet pan in a single layer and roast in the oven for about 15 minutes. Once it is fork tender and browned the way you like it, it is done. Easy peasy!
Toast the Almonds
This is so easy. Just place the almonds in a dry frying pan and bring to a medium-high heat. Keep the almonds moving in the pan by stirring with a spatula or shake the pan to evenly toast them. Once they have heated up some, sprinkle with a little salt. When they are toasted the way you like, remove them from the heat and let them cool on a plate.
Bring the Winter Rice Medley together!
If the pot the rice was cooking in is large enough or in a mixing bowl, combine the almonds, dried cranberries and roasted butternut squash together. Reserve a few of the mix-ins for garnish if you’d like. Then pour into a serving dish and garnish.
Great Gluten Free Pairings
- Company-Worthy Easy Lamb Roast
- Browned Butter & Sage Scallops
- Honey Dijon Roast Chicken
- Drunken Braised Brisket
- Perfect Thyme Chicken
- Pistachio & Pesto Lamb Chops
- Brined & Buttered Boneless Turkey
Winter Rice Medley
Ingredients
- 1 cup black rice - purple or wild rice work too
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ cup raw sliced almonds
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 lb butternut squash - peeled, seeded & cut to ½ inch cubes
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle pepper powder - moderate heat with this amount, adjust if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Bring the chicken or vegetable broth to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the wild rice and a pinch of salt, cover and turn the heat down to low. Allow it to cook until all of the liquid has been absorbed (approximately 35 mins). These types of rice take longer to cook than white rice, so check the package of your rice for the most reliable estimate.
- Toss the diced butternut squash with olive oil until coated evenly. Sprinkle on the salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, chipotle powder and cinnamon adjusting, a little more or less, to your preference if needed.
- Lay the seasoned squash out in a single layer onto the baking sheet(s) leaving as much room as possible between the pieces. Roast in the oven for about 15 mins or until fork tender and browned to your preference.
- While the rice and squash are cooking, toast the almond slices in a dry frying pan over medium high heat. Toss them frequently in the pan so that they brown evenly. This will only take about 7 minutes, so keep a close eye on them. They can burn quickly. Once toasted, lightly salt them if you’d like and remove from heat. Pour them out on a plate to cool.
- In a large serving bowl, combine the cooked rice, butternut squash, toasted almonds and cranberries. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
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