Baked Brown Rice

1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease an 8x8 inch or 9x9 inch baking pan.
2. Place rice in the prepared pan and pour in the liquid.  Stir to equally distribute the rice.
3. Cover tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil.
4. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let it sit for five minutes before removing the aluminum foil.  Fluff with a fork.  Makes about 3 1/2 cups cooked rice.

*This recipe doubles beautifully for a 9x13 inch pan.

Variations:
Before baking, slice one small yellow onion into dices or half moons and caramelize and brown in 1 teaspoon of olive oil until golden and soft (about 10 minutes).  Stir onion into rice and broth mixture before baking.

After removing rice from the oven and letting it sit for five minutes, remove aluminum foil and stir in the zest and juice from 1 lemon, 1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 an apple, finely diced.