Wild Blend Rice, Mango & Pecan Stuffing

Found a similar recipe online, then tweaked it to our tastes.  It’s become my very favorite rice dish.

2 1/2 T avocado or olive oil
4 C celery – sliced
1 2/3 C chopped onion
2 garlic cloves or 1 tsp prepared garlic
2 1/2 C (16 oz) Lundberg Wild Blend Rice
1 qt low-salt chicken broth or 1 qt water and 1 1/2 T low salt chicken base (if salted, reduce added

salt to 3/4 tsp.)

2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

3/4 tsp ground black pepper

4 oz (3/4 C) dried cranberries
4-5 oz dried mango cut into half-inch pieces
4 oz (1/3 C) golden raisins 

5 oz (1 1/4 C) pecans
A few fresh cranberries, thinly sliced.

Heat broth in a 6 qt skillet until boiling.  Add oil, celery, onion and garlic to the broth and cook for two minutes.  Add the rice mix, bay leaves, salt and pepper, then cover and bring to a boil.  Turn down to medium low (so it's barely bubbling) and cook for about 25 minutes.  Give it a good stir and then cook for another 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender.  It there’s a little bit of water remaining, don’t worry, it will be absorbed by the dried fruit.

Heat the oven to 325º.  Spread the pecans on a cooking sheet and toast for seven minutes.  Cool and coarsely chop.

Discard the bay leaves and stir in the dried cranberries, mangoes and raisins.  

At this point you can refrigerate it, then reheat the next day.  Otherwise, fold in the toasted pecans and top with cranberry slices.  You may also fold more fresh cranberry slices into the rice mixture to taste.