Roasted Tomato and Onion Rice Medley

I wanted something to go with my Butternut Squash Rounds, and I was a little tired of pasta after all of the pasta I've been eating lately.  Whole grain brown rice is one of my favorite foods.  Yes, it takes a while to cook, but it also keeps me feeling very full after I eat it, and that means I'm less cranky.  You really could substitute any sort of vegetable in with the rice, but I feel like the tomato and onion gives it a light, summery feel. 

Roasted Tomato and Onion Rice Medley

1 c. whole grain brown rice
2 c. water
2 tsp. butter
2 c. grape tomatoes, halved
2 medium sweet onions, diced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper
Parmesan for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat the oven to 450 F.  Combine the rice, water, and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Once the rice is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover, simmering about 30 minutes, until all of the water is absorbed.  It is better if you don't burn the rice such that it sticks to the bottom of the pan, but I've never quite been able to master that, and so I usually just scoop out the nonstuck parts and then set the pan to soak overnight and it works out just fine. 

While the rice is cooking, spread the tomatoes and onions in a shallow cookie pan/jellyroll pan.  I just picked up these pans a few weeks ago (after my favorite pan for roasting from college started banging around in the oven by itself it was so warped), and so far I absolutely love them.  Drizzle the onions and tomatoes with the olive oil and sprinkle liberally with the salt and pepper.  Mix them together so that the vegetables are evenly coated.  Roast at 450 F for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 10 or so, until the onions have started to turn golden, the tomatoes are looking a little blistered, and there is a fair amount of juice in the pan. 

Once the rice is done, combine it with the tomato-onion mixture, tossing to let the juices/olive oil evenly coat the rice (if you burn the bottom of the rice pan like me, this is best done in a separate bowl).  I don't like to mix parmesan in with the rice, because then it gets melty and stringy and sticks something awful to the spoon, but rather to grate a little over each individual portion once it's on the plate.  This works really well as a side dish, or topped with the Butternut Squash Rounds as a complete meal.