Wild Rice Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables and Lemon Tahini Dressing

I had like, the perfect day today.

I feel like I should finish it with a solid landing and my hands raised in a Y shape.

Really stick it, you know?

I thought it was going to be a bad day, because my husband, who is in school, had to spend most of the morning on campus panic-writing a paper that was due today.

I rely on him pretty heavily in the mornings to watch the baby while I get an extra hour or so of sleep, and this morning I was going to have to go without.

But it totally, totally worked out. Baby woke up sweet, laid next to me in bed and cooed to himself while I snoozed until I wasn't tired anymore (or at least, no more tired than usual).

He napped on time, and I got to sit and watch Doctor Who (nerd alert! I am so, so into Doctor Who. It started when Chunkin Punkin [look I just blog-nicknamed my baby! It finally happened!] was born and wanted to eat all the time, and I didn't get up off the couch for like three months, and Netflix was my only friend). Love Doctor Who.

Then we went to the store to get ingredients for a special dinner with friends tomorrow. I'm making my hot links and Dijon-braised brussels sprouts, plus mint chocolate cupcakes for dinner. Sound all right?

Punkin perched up in his little seat in the cart and shouted and babbled all through the store in his wee, chirpy voice.

He was a hit.

By dinnertime, Honey was back (how is Honey for a husband nickname? No? I'll keep working on it). We packed up and went on an evening walk, where I stole some leaves off a nearby bay tree (and only just took out of my now finely scented pocket, eversoslightly smooshed but still good) and some needles off the rosemary that grows so abundantly here.

And then? Baby played, put on his fuzzy Buzz Lightyear jammies, and went to bed. And so far, he has stayed there.

Bam. Perfect day. Arms in a Y.

Wild Rice Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables and Lemon Tahini Dressing (borrowed from David Lebovitz)

Healthy time! I am really off on my blogging/eating timeline though, so I made this about three weeks ago and actually had something with caramel and oatmeal in it for dinner tonight. But you folks should really try this healthy dish, and not think about caramel and oatmeal. Because this was really good! And flavorful! And perfect for the last few days of winter.

So feel free to use any root vegetables you like, or add a few other herbs into the mix; fresh dill or something else vaguely Mediterranean or Middle Eastern would be pretty tasty.

3/4 cup (125 g) wild rice
6 cups (750 g) peeled and cubed root vegetables; any mix of carrots, parsnip, celery root, beets, and butternut squash, or other favorites
Olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
2 spring onions or green onions, minced
1/2 cup (15 g) chopped fresh parsley and chives (or other favorite herbs)

Lemon-Tahini Dressing

1/4 cup (80 g) tahini
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons water
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon soy sauce


Put the wild rice in a saucepan and cover with plenty of salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook the rice until it’s tender, about 45 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Drizzle a few spoonfuls of olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread the cubed vegetables over the pan and season well with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Toss the vegetables with the olive oil and spread them on the baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking, until the vegetables are fully cooked.

When the rice is done, drain it well and toss it in a large bowl with the cooked vegetables and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, stir in the onions and herbs.

Make the lemon-tahini dressing by stirring together the tahini, lemon juice, water, garlic, and soy sauce, then pour it over the salad and stir it in well. Taste, and add a bit more salt and lemon juice, if desired.

Serving and Storage: This salad is best enjoyed at room temperature; when chilled, it tends to dry out a bit because of the tahini. If you wish to make it in advance, best to make the dressing and the vegetable & rice mixture separately, then stir them together before you serve it.