Adapted from an original recipe from The Gourmet Outlet in New Bedford, Massachusetts, this recipe serves 10, and can be doubled easily for a big party.
Ingredients
1/2 lb red rice
3 oz sun-dried (or slow-roasted) tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon for cooking
1 oz pine nuts
1 oz pecans
1 oz unsalted cashews
2 oz dried cherries (or dried cranberries)
1-1/2 lbs beets, roasted and diced (or use pre-cooked beets from the produce section of your supermarket or Trader Joe's)
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
Directions
Cook the rice according to package directions. Drain, and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, pine nuts, pecans, cashews, dried cherries, and beets.
In a small frying pan, sauté the onion in a teaspoon of olive oil, until the onion is soft and just starting to brown. Add the garlic and rosemary, and cook for 20 seconds, until fragrant. Add this mixture to the beets and nuts, and stir in the red rice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.