Wild Pumpkin Pilaf

This recipe is satisfying as a side salad or main course, especially on a dreary autumn night. It is a flexible recipe that is great with various ingredients. Start with the rice
and cubed squash then go wild from there!

Recipe:

2 cups wild rice pilaf
4 cups water
1 small pumpkin cut in ½ in. cubed
1 TBL sunflower oil
1 onion chopped
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ pomegranate seeds
1 large crisp apple chopped
1 TBL lemon juice
1 TBL agave or maple syrup
Dash of sea salt and pepper
Optional: top with fresh goat cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degree. Cook rice in 4 cups of water on stove top or in rice cooker. (I prefer rice cooker so you can forget about it well you prepare the dish). Halve and clean out pumpkin (saving seeds of course!) cut off rind, and cut into ½ inch cubes. Toss onion and pumpkin in sunflower oil and maple syrup on large pan and place in oven for 30 minutes. Toast the pumpkin seeds in skillet with a dash of sea salt over medium heat for about 10 minutes, keeping a close eye, and tossing them often. Cut apple into ½ inch squares and soak in water with the 1 TBL lemon juice and set aside. Submerge pomegranate in large bowl of water and work to retrieve seeds, set aside. When the rice and pumpkin are done, toss all ingredients in large bowl. Serve warm topped with fresh goat cheese.

Serves 6