If you are tired of brown rice and quinoa, try red rice. This seasonal recipe combines it with roasted pumpkin and curry powder for a whole-grain side dish that boosts your fiber intake. You can substitute any winter squash for the pumpkin, and if you don't like curry, switch to 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.