WILD RICE:

2/3 c. wild rice
2 c. water
1/4 tsp. salt

CHICKEN:

3 lg. boneless chicken breast halves, skinned
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 c. chicken stock or canned broth

SALAD:

1 lg. tart apple, unpeeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch chunks
1/3 sm. red onion, halved
1/2 lg. red bell pepper, diced
1/2 c. dried currants
1/2 c. toasted pecan pieces
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar or 1 1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper
Red leaf lettuce leaves

For Rice: Rinse rice. Place in small saucepan with water and salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until rice is just tender, about 35 minutes. Transfer rice to large bowl. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool; cover tightly and refrigerate.)

For Chicken: Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Place in medium skillet. Add stock. Cook over medium-high heat until springy to touch, about 4 minutes per side. (Or to microwave: Place seasoned chicken breasts in 9 inch microwave-safe dish. Add stock. Cook, covered, in high 3 minutes. Turn and cook, covered, until almost completely opaque, about 1 1/2 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Uncover and pierce with knife to be sure juices run clear. Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Cut chicken into 1 inch chunks and add to rice.

For Salad: Coarsely chop apple and onion. Add to chicken. Mix in bell pepper, currants, pecans, vinegar, oil, and salt. Season with pepper. Adjust seasonings. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat, covered, in microwave on high for 3 minutes.) Arrange lettuce on 4 dinner plates or 1 platter. Top with portions of warm salad and serve.

This is also great cold with grilled chicken.