Hijiki, a black and squiggly sea vegetable grown mostly in Japan and Korea, is a powerfood full of fiber, iron, and calcium–and it is believed to have healing qualities for nervousness, anxiety, and bowel disorders. But before you run off and grab all the hijiki in your nearest Asian supermarket, you should be warned not to eat it in excess. As with a lot of other seafood, hijiki has been found to contain small traces of arsenic. Be sure to soak and rinse hijiki before consuming it, to reduce arsenic traces, and make sure to purchase the seaweed from a reputable source.

Wild Rice and Hijiki
1/3 cup wild rice
1/2 cup brown rice
2 3/4 cups vegetable or chicken stock (or water)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 medium carrot, diced
1 small bunch scallions, sliced, with some green tops
1 cup diced shiitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon tamari
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup hijiki, soaked 20 minutes, rinsed, and drained

In a medium saucepan, combine wild rice, brown rice, and stock or water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until rice is tender, about one hour.

About 10 minutes before rice is done, heat sesame oil in a medium saucepan, and saute carrots, scallions, and mushrooms until carrots are just tender, about five minutes. Stir in tamari, garlic, and toasted sesame oil, and cook for one minute.

Add cooked rice mixture, pecans, and hijiki. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve chilled.
Nutrition information per serving: Calories 311; Protein 7 g; Carbohydrates 38 g; Total Fat 14.6 g; Saturated Fat 1.6 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 533 mg; Fiber 4 g

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