Escape the rainy blues with this Moroccan inspired pumpkin recipe

A perfect recipe to help you transition from summer to autumn, this Moroccan Roasted Pumpkin, Brown Rice and Quinoa Salad from SunRice is perfect to throw together on a chilly weeknight.

Mixing together two of the most nutritious rice options, brown rice and quinoa, the dish is rich in antioxidants and fiber that leaves you feeling fuller for longer.

In Australia, Australian rice growers are world leaders in water efficiency and have led the way in their efforts to reduce water usage. In fact, Australian rice growers have improved their water use efficiency by 60% in the last 10 years.

As Australia’s third largest cereal grain export, and ninth largest agricultural export, our rice industry generates around $800 million revenue per annum.

Ingredients

½ large pumpkin, cut into 4 thick slices

¼ cup pumpkin seeds, crushed finely

1 tbsp. olive oil

¼ tsp. ras el hanout

salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup SunRice Brown Rice & Quinoa

2 cups water100g goat/feta cheese, crumbled

¼ cup flaked almonds

½ bunch coriander, chopped finely

½ cup green olives, pitted and sliced

50g baby rocket leaves

1 punnet, cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 tbsp. tahini paste1 tsp. honey

1 garlic clove, crushed finely

1 tbsp. water

½ tbsp. lemon juice

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Toss pumpkin in olive oil, ras el hanout, salt and pepper and press pumpkin into pumpkin seeds until coated. Place on a lined baking tray and bake for 20-30mins until well roasted.

Meanwhile place brown rice & quinoa in a saucepan with water, bring to the boil and cook until tender and water is absorbed.

In a bowl combine cooked grains, goat cheese, almonds, coriander, green olives, rocket leaves and cherry tomatoes.

To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a jar or food processor and combine until a runny consistency is reached.

Spoon a serving of salad on each plate, top with piece of roasted pumpkin, drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with extra coriander.

Find more great recipes like this one via the SunRice website.