Recipe - Rice Pilaf With Apricots Raisins And Pine Nu

One fourth cup Olive oil
1 One half cup Rice, brown;long grain
1 pn Saffron strands; opt
One half cup Apricots, dried;snipped into
slivers
One half Cinnamon stick
8 Cloves
4 Cardamom pods; lightly
crushed
Salt & pepper
3 cup Water
2 Onions; peeled & cut or sliced up
1/3 cup Raisins
One half cup Pine nuts;or slivered
almonds

TO GARNISH
Mint sprig

Heat half the oil in a heavybottomed saucepan. Add the rice and saute for
5 minutes, stirring gently. Add the saffron, if using, the apricots,
spices, 1 teaspoon salt and the water. Bring to a boil, then cover tightly
and leave to cook over very gentle heat for 45 minutes. Then turn off the
heat and leave covered. Saute the onion in the remaining oil for 10
minutes, until softened and lightly browned. Add to the rice, together with
the raisins and nuts. Check the seasonings and stir lightly with a fork.
Garnish with a mint sprig to serve.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini