Fruited Basmati Pilaf with Pistachios

Serve with roasted pork and Brussels sprouts. If your cinnamon stick is larger than one inch, just break it to get a one-inch piece.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons  butter
• 1  cup  thinly sliced shallots
• 2 1/2  cups  water
• 1 1/2  cups  uncooked basmati rice
• 3/4  cup  frozen green peas
• 3/4  cup  golden raisins
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  salt
• 3/4  teaspoon  fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground cardamom
• 1/8  teaspoon  saffron threads, crushed
• 1  (1-inch) cinnamon stick
• 1  bay leaf
• 1/2  cup  chopped pistachios, toasted

Preparation

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots, and sauté 8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat.

Combine water and rice in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Stir in green peas and the next 8 ingredients (through bay leaf); cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Discard cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Stir in shallots and pistachios.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

196 (30% from fat)

Fat:

6.6g (sat 2.3g,mono 2.6g,poly 1.2g)

Protein:

4.5g

Carbohydrate:

31.9g

Fiber:

2.4g

Cholesterol:

8mg

Iron:

1.2mg

Sodium:

482mg

Calcium:

30mg