Rice Stuffing with Apples, Herbs and Bacon

I'm on a new cooking kick. I love to add fruit to my meals (especially sour green apples). Here is a good gluten-free stuffing alternative I made last night. I adapted a recipe from Allrecipes.com and added in different fruit and veggies that I like. It turned out really delicious, and it's gluten-free (make sure you check the yeast on the chicken broth) and healthy!

Serves 12

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups water, divided
• 1 1/2 cups low fat, low sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked wild rice
• 1/3 pound bacon
• 3 cups diced onions
• 3 cups diced celery
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
• 3/4 cup dried cherries
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup green olives
• 1 tablespoon capers
  
• 1 cup diced, unpeeled apples
• 1/2 cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
• 6 tablespoons dried mixed herbs

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring 1 1/2 cups water and the chicken broth to a boil. Stir in wild rice. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes.
2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Reserving drippings, drain bacon, crumble, and set aside.
3. In the skillet with the reserved bacon drippings, saute onions and celery with 1 tablespoon water. Cook until very soft, about 20 minutes.
4. Stir remaining water, white rice, cherries, cranberries, apricots, apples, olives, and capers into the wild rice. Continue cooking 20 minutes, or until wild rice and white rice are tender.
5. In a large bowl, mix the bacon and the onion mixture into the rice mixture. Season with the Italian parsley and dried mixed herbs.