A weeknight supper

The Sous Blogger and Her Consort make a lovely, homey casserole they call Wild Rice Baron. It's full of rice and olives and ground beef and numminess. Sometimes they make it with shrimp and call it Wild Rice Neptune. Tonight I made a very healthy, quite delicious rice pilaf I'm going to call Wild Rice m'Lady.

Wild Rice m'Lady

2 cups water
1/2 cup wild rice
16 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 12-ounce fennel bulb, trimmed, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/3 cups long-grain brown rice
1/2 cup white wine (I used a delicious Vouvray, which I'm drinking right now)
32 oz. free-range organic chicken broth

Simmer water and wild rice in small saucepan 20 minutes. Drain.

Heat heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute sausage until cooked through, breaking up sausage with fork, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to large bowl.

Add 2 tablespoons oil to same saucepan. Mix in fennel, bell pepper and fennel seeds and saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add to bowl with sausage. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same saucepan. Add leeks and garlic and sauté until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add brown rice and stir 1 minute. Add white wine, cooking for 30 seconds, scraping pan. Mix in broth and wild rice. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes. Add sausage mixture to hot rice and toss well. Serve hot.

Why am I posting a recipe on Going40? I have no idea.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit.