Wild Rice Salad

I am so excited that it is officially Spring now! Yesterday, being that it was the first day of Spring, I was all smiles all day. Spring actually gets me motivated. I want to get off the couch and go work out and take Kirby on walks and clean...a lot...

It's super weird that I enjoy cleaning...I realize this...I am such a rare individual.

Anyways, this wild rice salad is one of the side dishes Shawn and I made for our Valentines day dinner along with the grilled salmon. We were kind of weary about pairing these but they went really well together...

Shawn ate half of the bowl before it even made it to our plates...

Yep, we're both kind of fat.

This salad can be eaten warm or cold...I don't think it really matters though we ate it cold and found it very satisfying...

Wild Rice Salad
From foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup wild rice
1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and halved, reserve marinade
1 (6-ounce) can green peas
1/3 cup coarsely chopped green bell pepper
3 green onions, chopped, white and green parts
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup toasted slivered or sliced almonds, for garnish

Dressing:
1 1/3 cups canola oil
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:

In a 1-quart pot with a lid, bring 2 cups water and the salt to a boil. Add the rice and stir well. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Drain excess liquid from the rice.

Meanwhile, combine all the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large bowl, combine the rice, artichoke hearts, peas, green pepper, green onions, tomatoes, reserved marinade, and half of the dressing. Toss well. Cover and chill or eat at room temperature. Just before serving, toss again and taste. Add some of the remaining dressing, if desired. Sprinkle with the almonds and serve.