If you are tired of brown rice and quinoa, give red rice a try. In this seasonal recipe, it is combined with roasted pumpkin and curry powder for a whole-grain side dish that gives you a boost of fiber. Any variety of winter squash can be substituted for the pumpkin, and if you are not a fan of curry, switch to other spices like chili powder or cumin.

Yield: 4 servings

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Baking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry red rice
• 1 ½ cups water
• 2 cups peeled and cubed pumpkin
• 1/3 cup diced onion
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp curry powder
• ¼ tsp fine ground sea salt
• 2 green onions, greens only, sliced

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Add the rice and the water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Let rest, covered, for at least 5 minutes. The rice will absorb any remaining liquid.
3. While the rice cooks, place the pumpkin, onion, olive oil, curry powder, and sea salt in a medium bowl. Toss to coat all ingredients with the spices. Transfer the pumpkin to the baking sheet and spread it in a single layer.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and stir. Bake for 5 more minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender.
5. In a medium bowl, stir together the rice and pumpkin. Fold in the sliced green onions and serve warm.

Lori Rice, M.S., is a nutritional scientist and author with a passion for healthy cooking, exercise physiology, and food photography.