Apple Pilaf

This hearty side dish, from Whole Foods, has only 150 calories per serving. You can use brown rice, or substitute wild rice, or barley, rye, or quinoa. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 leek, white and light green parts, split, rinsed, thinly sliced and rinsed again
• 1 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 Honeycrisp apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, combine rice, leek, broth, and cider. Bring to a boil, stir once, lower heat, cover and cook at a bare simmer for 40 minutes.

Sprinkle apple on top of broth, cover pan again, and continue to simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice grains are very tender, 5 to 10 minutes more depending on rice varieties.

Remove from heat and let stand, covered, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with pecans and fluff with a fork. Serves 6.