Here we go folks, the countdown begins! With just over a week until Thanksgiving the hustle and bustle has begun in the Goofy Foot Foods Kitchen. We’ve been busy prepping, testing and sampling several of our new sides for the season. Today’s Thanksgiving Forbidden Rice® starts with ancient, heirloom rice imported from China. This stunning rice is sure to impress your guests and tastes equally as good.
Don’t Panic! Although there are several components to this side, if you prep ahead, this dish comes together very quickly.
Happy Thanksgiving Shoutout to a few of my favorite companies:
Forbidden Rice® comes to us from Lotus Foods. This gorgeous, heirloom rice is rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and anthocyanins, a plant compound giving this rice it’s deep dark color. Anthocyanins are a member of the flavonoid family and one of the most powerful antioxidants we can add to our diet.
Organic Native American Cranberries sweetened with Apple Juice Concentrate from Eden Foods. I absolutely love this company and their commitment to staying true to their beliefs. They the, “…oldest natural and organic food company in North America, and the largest remaining independent manufacturer of dry grocery, organic food”. I have such admiration and respect for all they have done to provide clean, organic food for our families. Love them!
Another Star in our Thanksgiving Forbidden Rice is the mighty Kabocha Squash.
Kabocha provides an abundance of beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body. As we all know, vitamin A is great for the skin and eyes.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did creating it.
Much love my friends!
Kris
- 1 cup Lotus Foods Forbidden Rice
- 1 and 3/4 cup vegetable stock.
- 2-3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 small kabocha squash, peeled and diced
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, (about 10-12 mushrooms) stems removed and finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup dried organic cranberries (I like Eden Foods as they use fruit juice to sweeten)
- 1/4 dup dried organic turkish apricots, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
- 1/4 dup slivered almonds
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh sage, finely minced
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Prepare a sheet pan by lining with parchment paper.
- Prepare rice according to package directions, however, to increase the flavor, substitute vegetable stock for water.
- Prep kabocha squash by cutting in half and removing the strings and seeds. Carefully cut into bite-size pieces. 1/2 of a medium kabocha yields about 2 cups. (Note: I only used half of my kabocha squash in this recipe, and saved the other half for later use). Skin is optional, however, I did remove the skin for this recipe.
- Place diced kabocha into a medium-size bowl and drizzle with 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil, 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar and a pinch of Himalayan sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.
- Toss to coat.
- Lay kabocha out on your prepared, lined baking sheet in a single layer.
- Place in heated oven and roast for about 20-25 minutes or until fork tender.
- Remove and set aside.
- Prep all of your vegetables while your rice and kabocha are cooking. It's helpful if your vegetables are uniform in size for even cooking. I like mine small for this dish.
- The kabocha is slightly larger but isn't added until the end and has already been roasted.
- Chop mushrooms (1-2 cups)
- Chop celery (1 cup)
- Chop onion (1 cup)
- Mince garlic
- Finely mince herbs: rosemary, thyme and sage
- Cut apricots into small pieces (similar in size to the cranberries). You'll need 1/4 cup when finished.
- Measure out 1/2 cup cranberries
- Coarsely chop pecans. You need 1/2 cup of chopped pecans for this recipe.
- Measure out 1/4 cup slivered almonds.
- Using a large skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil, over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and mushrooms. Sauté until onions and celery become tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add pecans, slivered almonds and garlic, giving the mix a good stir. Continue to sauté another 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in fresh herbs and continue to satué anther 1-2 minutes. We want the flavors to be incorporated.
- Add roasted kabocha and cooked rice.
- Sprinkle with Himalayan sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.
- Note: I typically use a low-sodium vegetable broth when cooking my rice for this recipe, therefore I often need a little larger pinch of salt at the end of cooking. Remember, start with a small amount and add more only if needed.
- ENJOY!
- vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free
- All recipes and images are protected under copyright laws and owned by Kris Kelly and Goofy Foot Foods.