This is a variation of a simple wild rice and bean casserole - easy to prepare ahead of time. At mealtime when there are several dietary restrictions and preferences, from vegetarian to gluten-free it is great to find something for all to eat. It's nutritious, additive free, and made entirely with organic vegetables.

Easy Wild Rice & Bean Casserole
- 2 to 4 lb pumpkin (precooked)
- 1 cup Wild Rice (before cooking) which makes 4 cups of cooked rice (prepare according to package instructions)
- 1 medium (or large) onion chopped
- 2 cups small Crimini mushrooms sliced
- 4 cloves fresh garlic minced
- 2 stalks sliced celery
- 2 cups frozen organic kernel corn
- 2 cups of frozen organic peas
- 1 tin (16 oz) or organic kidney beans
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- Top with Parmesan cheese

Directions:
- Cut pumpkin into manageable pieces leaving skin on but remove seeds (which can be roasted at the same time as the pumpkin.)
- Cook pumpkin in 325 degree F oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until soft. Remove and let cool then blend or puree
- Saute onion, mushrooms garlic, celery in a small amount of oil
- Add in frozen corn, peas and kidney beans and heat for another 5 minutes
- Mix sautéed vegetables with cooked rice and place in a casserole dish
- Cover the mixture with puree pumpkin and sprinkle with cheese
- Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F for half an hour covered. Remove cover and heat further 10 minutes
That's it! Did I mention it was super tasty and received a thumbs up from all!

Notes
- Fresh thyme or other herbs always preferred, if available
- Whenever possible saute vegetables in organic vegetable broth instead of oil
- Add diced green or red pepper or some chopped spinach to the vegetable mix if preferred
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- This rice and vegetable combination is an excellent stuffing for squash (butternut or zucchini) cut in half and roasted
- Wild rice is low-fat, sugar and salt; no cholesterol and contains iron and fibre
Links & References
- The easiest way to puree pumpkin - in oven and roast the seeds
- The best ever sour cream made from yoghurt
Leave a Reply