Receta Wild Rice Salad with Chicken, Dried Cherries & Goat Cheese
Whenever I make a dinner that leaves us with leftovers, I earn some serious points with my husband, Steve. Every night, Steve goes through an elaborate process of making his breakfast, lunch and snack to take with him to work the next day. He runs a lot; therefore, he eats…a lot! Seriously, if you saw how much this man ate, you’d think he was feeding a small town. And he is nothing but lean muscle. Annoying. Anyways…when he can just scoop some leftovers into a container when making his work day meal, he’s a happy husband.
One of the ways that I like to pump up the flavor of simple rice dishes is by adding some creamy cheese and tart cherries. The flavors and textures of those two ingredients complement each other so well, and the easy rosemary vinaigrette adds a fresh herbal flavor.
Along with the scoop of tart cherries on his cereal and two daily glasses of tart cherry juice, Steve gets a quadruple dose of the powerhouse fruit each day. Quite honestly, we’re both a bit smitten with the sweet-tart flavor and find ourselves toting around a bag of tart cherries mixed with raw almonds whenever we head out to run errands.
If you spotted my Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal with Tart Cherries & Pepitas and Curry Spiced Nuts with Dried Cherries, you already know that dried cherries pack a lot of health benefits. One of the lesser known benefits is that tart cherries are a natural source of melatonin, which is linked to better sleep efficiency. They have been shown to increase both the quality and duration of sleep, which is so important for overall health.
A number of whole grains would work well in this recipe, from brown rice to farro or barley. I used a wild rice blend that I found at the supermarket, which contained wild rice, brown rice, wehani rice and black japonica rice. Use whatever blend appeals to you, but be sure to follow the package directions, as cooking time will likely vary.
For more information on tart cherries and recipe inspiration, be sure to visit ChooseCherries.com, and follow Choose Cherries on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
- Other tart cherry recipes:
- Cookin’ Canuck’s Curry Spiced Nuts with Dried Cherries
- Cookin’ Canuck’s Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal with Tart Cherries & Pepitas
- Running to the Kitchen’s Cherry Power Cookies
- Love & Zest’s Chocolate Cherry & Chia Bark
- The Inventive Vegetarian’s Apple Walnut Salad
- Wild Rice Salad with Chicken, Dried Cherries & Goat Cheese Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck
1 cup wild rice blend Water (follow package instructions) 6 oz. cooked skinless chicken breasts, shredded 2 cups chopped kale, stems removed ½ cup dried tart cherries 2 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tsp Dijon mustard ¼ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp crushed dried rosemary 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Cook the wild rice blend according to package directions. Fluff with a fork. Transfer the rice to a large bowl to cool. Add the chicken, kale, dried cherries and goat cherries, and stir gently to combine. Pour in the dressing and toss to coat. Serve. In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder and rosemary. While whisking, slowly pour in the olive oil. Whisk until combined. Weight Watchers Points: 7 (Points+), 6 (Old Points) Serving size: About 1 cup | Calories: 259.2 cal | Fat: 10.5g | Saturated fat: 2.5g | Carbohydrates: 32.8g | Sugar: 6.8g | Sodium: 74.2mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Protein: 11.1g | Cholesterol: 21.9mg 3.2.2925
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