Wild Rice and Greens

This is one of those random, I-don't-want-to-go-to-the-store dishes that's easy, flexible, and makes you wonder why you ever bother making anything complicated if throwing together random things from the cupboard can taste so good.

Ingredients
Olive oil
1-2 spring onions, sliced (or sub a large shallot, sliced)
2 large cloves garlic, smashed
1 rounded cup wild rice
Just under 2 cups chicken broth
1/2 can chickpeas, rinsed

Several big handfuls mixed greens, cut crosswise into wide strips (baby mustard, spinach, and/or mystery leafy green from your CSA box)*
Salt and black pepper
2 eggs, poached or medium-boiled (7-8 minutes)

Heat a glug of olive oil in a smallish pot over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is soft and the garlic lightly golden. Add the wild rice and saute in the onion-garlic mixture for a minute or two, then stir in the chicken broth. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, adding the chickpeas about halfway through (if there's a little extra liquid at the end, you can uncover the pot and raise the heat back up to medium for a minute or two, stirring occasionally, to let it evaporate).

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil for the eggs, but wait to cook them until a few minutes before the rice is done.

When the rice is done or almost done, heat a wide saute pan over medium heat. Drizzle the pan with a little olive oil, then throw in the greens and toss to coat with olive oil. Add a pinch or two of salt, cover the pan for a minute to let the greens begin to wilt, then stir again. When the greens are tender (a minute or two for baby greens so that they've just wilted; longer for bigger greens), turn off the heat, add the fully cooked rice, and stir to combine evenly. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve in bowls and top with an egg sprinkled with a bit of salt and pepper.

Serves 2.

Note: Use two spring onions if they're still smallish (like the ones to the right), but you probably just need one if they've reached their bigger, more bulbous stage (like the ones pictured in this post).

*Variation on a theme: Take out the mixed greens and substitute 2-3 cups chopped broccolini and spinach and a couple handfuls of shiitakes, sliced. Saute the broccolini, cover to let steam for a few minutes, then uncover, add the mushrooms, a pinch of salt, and a bit more olive oil, and saute until cooked through.