Wild Rice with Shiitakes & Toasted Almonds

From EatingWell: February/March 2005, The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook (2005) — Subscribe Now!

Toasted almonds enhance the nutty flavor of wild rice in this simple yet luxurious side dish. You could give it an Asian twist by substituting sesame oil for the butter and adding a drizzle of soy sauce.

Wild Rice with Shiitakes & Toasted Almonds Recipe

6 servings, 3/4 cup each

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth
2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps, or button mushrooms (3 ounces)
1 cup wild rice
6 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 teaspoon butter
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Stir in mushrooms and wild rice. Return to a boil. Reduce heat to very low, cover, and simmer until the rice has "blossomed" and is just tender, 45 to 55 minutes. Drain any remaining liquid and transfer the rice to a serving bowl.
Meanwhile, toast almonds in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until golden brown and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
About 5 minutes before the rice is done, melt butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add scallions and cook, stirring often, until softened and still bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the scallions, almonds and pepper into the rice. Serve warm.

Nutrition

Per serving: 159 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 4 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrates; 8 g protein; 4 g fiber; 109 mg sodium; 266 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Magnesium (18% daily value), Zinc (13% dv), Folate (12% dv).

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fat (mono)