RECIPE: Celiac-Friendly Super Tasty Thanksgiving Rice Pilaf

Your celiac friend will thank you by not dying at the table.

If you’re one of those awesome “We’re having a big Thanksgiving dinner, come on over” people (not me), chances are you’re going to eventually run into a celiac person (me), in which case you’ll have to scramble around for a gluten-free option for them to eat (me, but only because you foolishly invited me).

We’re a drag to feed. Trust me on this. I’ve gotten three-hours-with-my-head-in-a-toilet sick from cross contamination alone. That means a near-death experience just from having a few gluten molecules come into contact with my veggie burger. Celiac can ambush you rather suddenly in life. I was fine until, presto, change-o, one day I wasn’t.

That’s why I’m sharing my favorite gluten-free Thanksgiving Pilaf recipe with you. Even if you’re not celiac, you will love this dish, which is fragrant, filling, and oh-so-delicious. You can make it ahead of your other dishes if you want to, and then put it in a crockpot (low setting) to keep it warm until you’re ready to serve. You can also make all sorts of creative substitutions. No shallots? No problem. You can use onion instead. Hate mushrooms? You don’t need them. Wanna apple instead of a pear? Go for it. I’m aiming for a savory/sweet taste configuration. If you want to just make it just savory, that’s perfectly okay.

Ingredients:

• 2-1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

• 1 cup apple juice

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 2 carrots, peeled and diced into coins (not too thick)

• 2 shallots, minced

• 1 box (8 ounces) button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin

• 1-1/4 cups (uncooked) brown rice

• 3/4 cup (uncooked) wild rice

• 2 sprigs fresh thyme

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 sprig fresh rosemary

• 1 pear, cored and diced into cubes

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1/3 cup chopped lightly toasted walnuts

• (optional) 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On the stovetop in a medium-sized saucepot, heat broth and juice over medium heat until simmering.

2. Meanwhile, heat butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots and shallots and cook 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms; cook 6 minutes or until mushrooms are browned, also stirring occasionally.

3. Add uncooked brown rice and wild rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth mixture, salt, pepper, cranberries, thyme, bay leaf, rosemary, and pear.

4. Heat mixture to boiling over medium-high heat. Cover and transfer to oven. Bake 50 minutes (less if your oven runs hot) or until most liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

5. Remove from oven. Take off lid, adjust your seasonings, and let stand 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf and herb sprigs. Stir in lightly toasted walnuts (Arrange walnuts on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake 5 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees F but don’t let them burn). Sprinkle in parsley (optional) and serve warm.
   
   Buon appetito!

   Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving recipe? I want to hear about it. Leave your comments below.