Time: About an hour
1 cup wild rice, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1/2 cup quinoa
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans (optional).
1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 4 cups water with wild rice and fennel seeds; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, then cover and cook for 30 minutes. Add quinoa and continue cooking, covered, until grains are just tender, about 20 minutes more. Drain if necessary and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, put olive oil in a large, deep pan over medium-high heat. Sauté sausage, breaking it up with a fork or wooden spoon, until it is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer sausage to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add chopped fennel and onion to pan and sauté over medium-high heat until vegetables are soft and golden, about 10 minutes more.
3. Add rice-quinoa mixture and sausage to vegetables and cook until everything is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; serve hot or at room temperature, sprinkled with toasted nuts, if desired.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
