Wild Rice Pilaf

Wild Rice Pilaf

Serves 8. Recipe is from “The DASH Diet for Hypertension: Lower Your Blood Pressure in 14 Days Without Drugs” by Dr. Thomas Moore, Dr. Laura Svetkey, Pao-Hwa Lin, Njeri Karanja and Mark Jenkins. Some of the research for the book was done at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

1/2 cup wild rice

1/2 cup long-grain white rice, preferably basmati

3 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup golden raisins

1 tbl. olive oil

1⁄3 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh min, plus a few springs for garnish

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/2 tsp. salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 tbl. grated orange zest

1. Rinse the wild rice in a strainer under cold water. Place the wild and white rices in a medium saucepan. Add the broth and bring to a rolling boil over high ehat. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 25 minutes, uncovered.

2. Meanwhile, heat the pecans in a small, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Watch closely so they do not burn. Toast until lightly browned, about 8 minutes.

3. Transfer the rice to a serving bowl, then add the pecans and raisins.

4. In a small bowl, combine the oil, orange juice, chopped mint, green onions, salt and pepper. Pour over the rice mixture and toss gently. Let stand for about 2 hours to allow the flavors to mix. Serve at room temperature or warm in a microwave. Garnish with mint sprigs and orange zest. This dish is also good cold as a salad.

Nutritional information per serving: 222 calories, 7 grams fat, 237 milligrams sodium. Food group servings: 1 grain.