Wild Rice & Roasted Vegetable Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wild rice
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 large red pepper
• 3 medium carrots
• 1 small, sweet onion or 2 scallions
• 1 zucchini 
• 1 ½ cups cremini or button mushrooms
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon dried herbs (oregano, basil, thyme, sage or choice of any herbs)
• ¼ cup balsamic 
• vinaigrette (Annie's brand is my favorite)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425◦ F.
2. Place the rice in a bowl of cold water and scrub lightly between your fingers for about five seconds.
3. Pour rice into a fine strainer and drain. Place the rice into a large saucepan and add the stock.
4. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for approximately 50 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the grain is tender but not mushy.
5. While rice is cooking, chop all vegetables coarsely and place in a roaster pan. Add chopped garlic.
6. Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and toss until coated. 
   Spread vegetables out in a single layer in the pan. Roast in preheated oven for 20 minutes, turning vegetables after 10 minutes.
7. Combine roasted vegetables with cooked wild rice and toss with balsamic vinaigrette while still warm. Serve warm or cold.

Makes 6 servings