Roasted Squash over Purple Rice with Pepitas, Feta, Herbs, and Maple Dijon Sauce

If you remember back last month when I went to Arkansas to visit Ralston Family Rice Farm along with USA Rice and The Feedfeed, and learned all about their sustainable farming practices growing rice in the U.S. Today I’m sharing with you another rice featured recipe, this time with their purple rice! Purple rice is deep rich in color which comes from a natural plant compound called anthocyanin (also found in blueberries!), meaning it is high in antioxidants. Purple rice is higher in antioxidants than brown rice and packed with fiber. So basically, not only is this rice rich in flavor, but it is very nutritional. Plus it turns a beautiful deep rich purple hue when you cook it! 

For this recipe I cooked up the purple rice (in my rice cooker because now that I own one, I can’t go back), tossed the rice with some olive oil, toasted pumpkin seeds and thinly sliced feta. Then I roasted up some squash (delicata is one of my favorites), made a maple dijon sauce (that is a condiment staple in my house), and topped the rice with herbs, squash, more pepitas, more feta, and a good amount of sauce. 

This recipe is perfect right now, but would also make a great dish for Thanksgiving, which I cannot believe is next month. Next up I’m going to try making a purple rice pudding! 

Roasted Squash over Purple Rice with Pepitas, Feta, Herbs, and Maple Dijon Sauce
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
4 cups cooked, U.S. Grown Purple rice* 
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
3 lbs. mixed winter squash (I used a mix of delicate and butternut squash, feel free to use just one variety), 1/2” thick delicate squash rounds, 1” thick sliced butternut or kabocha into wedges or half moons
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper
4 ounces feta, thinly sliced (or crumbled)
1 cup mixed herbs (basil, parsley, dill, chives)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

STEPS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pumpkin seeds on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until lightly browned for about 6 minutes. Remove seeds from baking sheet and let cool. 

Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Toss squash with 3 tablespoons olive oil and a big pinch kosher salt. Spread out evenly onto baking sheet and roast for about 35-45 minutes until browned, tossing occasionally. Delicate squash will cook faster than butternut, remove the slices if they brown faster than other squash. 

In the mean time, toss the cooked rice with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Add in half of the feta cheese and half of the toasted pumpkin seeds, gently combine together. Add rice onto a place and set aside. 

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, shake together the maple syrup, dijon mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust. This is more of a sauce than a dressing, so I like mine a little thicker. If you are wanting a thinner constituency you can add more olive oil, or small splash of sherry vinegar would be really nice too. 

Place roasted squash over rice and drizzle with maple dijon sauce. Top with remaining feta cheese, toasted pumpkin seeds, the mixed herbs and serve. 

*If you do not have a rice cooker, which is how I cook most of my rice, I like to cook all grains like pasta. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add grains, and cook until tender, tasting throughout the cooking process. Drain and spread out onto a baking sheet to allow to cook.