Wild Rice & Citrus Balsamic Dessing

The two rice dishes suggested in my cuisine blog offer cold or room temperature or warm service options. The interesting contrast of a cold rice salad to a warm entree strikes another element in profile and should be tried. Hot, Warm or Cold, try them all and share your feedback

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 cups water
1 cups wild rice
1 teaspoon butter
1/2  teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Raspberry Balsamic reduction
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup Parmesan Reggiano
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup roughly chopped almonds, toasted

Directions
1. In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to boil, add rice, 1 teaspoon of butter, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, stir.
2. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender (but not split), 40 to 45 minutes.
3. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
4. In small bowl, mix together orange juice, lemon juice, mustard, oil, balsamic reduction, pepper and salt
5. In a pan, saute shallots and garlic until soft in oil (2-3 min) and reduce temp to low
6. Slowly add the prepared mixture to the pan and whisk.
7. Pour over the rice and toss to coat, add green onions, parsley and Parmesan, season to taste.
8. Serve topped with chopped almonds

Substitutions & Suggestions
You may add 1/2 cup of barley to 2 cups boiling water with butter and salt, reduce temp and simmer for 40-45 minutes. You may also add cherries, cranberries dried or re-hydrated to the mixture and/or crisped kale. People with nut sensitivities should skip the almond topping.