Serves: 4

4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 leek (white and light green part only), trimmed and diced
1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup wild rice
1 (2 1/4-ounce) package baby carrots, diced (about 2/3 cup)
8 stalks asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Preparation:

Heat broth, salt and pepper in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a low simmer. Reduce heat to low.

Heat butter or olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add garlic and leek and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in rice and carrots, coating them with butter or oil. Turn heat to medium-low.

Stir in hot broth, 1 cup at a time, waiting for rice to absorb liquid before adding more – this will take 30-35 minutes. Add asparagus and peas when about 1 cup of broth is left. Stir in almonds just before serving, so they stay crunchy.

Nutritional Analysis: Calories 610 Cholesterol 0 mg Carbohydrate 68 g Fiber 11 g Protein 22 g Calcium 144 mg Total Fat 30 g Magnesium 202 mg Saturated Fat 3.4 g Potassium 809 mg Monounsaturated Fat 19 g Sodium 818 mg Polyunsaturated Fat 5.9 g Vitamin E 10.8 mg*

* Total Alpha-Tocopherol Equivalents

Courtesy of News Canada