No More Oven Space-Try Festive Wild Rice Side

Out of Oven Room-Prepare This Festive Wild Rice Holiday Side

 For a quick and easy holiday side, I love to throw this dish together. Perfect to make when your oven is busy and there is no oven space left, since it’s cooked on top of the stove. While the rice is cooking, sauté the peppers and toss together in no time at all. For an even quicker version, try instant wild rice; it tastes just as good. Wild Rice adds a delicious nutty flavor to the dish, while the peppers add a natural sweetness. Did you know that all peppers are loaded with Vitamin C, and red peppers even have more Vitamin C than an orange?  And, with pecans having more antioxidants than any other nut, this satisfying and nutritious dish is a delectable and colorful side on any holiday table.  

 Wild Rice with Peppers and Toasted Pecans from Holly Clegg trim&TERRIFIC Diabetic Cooking

The colorful peppers liven up this festive side while the toasty pecans add a nice toasty crunch.

 8 servings/serving size: 1 cup

 1 cup chopped onion

1 cup wild rice

1/2 cup rice

3 1/4 cup fat-free low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Salt and pepper to taste

 1. In medium nonstick saucepot, bring onion, wild rice, rice, broth, and thyme to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 25 minutes or until rice is done.

2. Meanwhile, in nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, sauté peppers for 5–7 minutes or until tender. When rice is done, stir in peppers and pecans and season to taste

 Nutritional information per serving

Calories 159, Protein (g) 6, Carbohydrate (g) 29, Fat (g) 3, Calories from Fat (%) 27, Saturated Fat (g) 0, Dietary Fiber (g) 3, Sugars (g) 3, Cholesterol (mg) 0, Sodium (mg) 28, Diabetic Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1/2 fat