Nando's Butternut Squash Side, by Diane

There is a chain around the DC area called Nando's Peri Peri. It's a Peruvian chicken place, but I have discoved a side dish there that is insanely good and healthy. This is my attempt to recreate it! It is perfect as a side dish on its own or with protein added to make it a meal, and it would be a great addition to the usual sides for the holidays. The original version has chile peppers in it, which I changed to cayenne pepper because it is extremely spicy. This dish is super easy to make and keeps well!

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, cubed
1 small red onion, chopped into small strips
2 ears of corn (substitute thawed frozen corn if it's not in season)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 large bunch cilantro
3 cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt
Pepper
Cayenne pepper (the amount depends on your heat tolerance)
EVOO

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Place squash on a baking dish, drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with salt. Roast until golden (approx. 15-20 minutes), turning once during cooking to brown on all sides.

2. Heat a large saucepan to medium high, coat with 1 tbsp. EVOO. Cook onions until browned, then add in remaining ingredients and 1 tbsp. EVOO. Cook until the corn gets browned.

3. Remove the squash from the oven and combine in a baking dish with the corn mixture, mixing well to ensure the squash gets coated with the seasonings. Roast at 400 for another 5-10 minutes.

Moler Bowl, by Diane

There is an organic vegetarian lunch cafe by my house that makes awesome bowls- just combinations of veggies and grains that I wouldn't think of. A few months back they debuted the moler bowl and I was hooked. It is the healthiest meal you can imagine and it fills you up and keeps you going! There are a few steps to prep all the ingredients but once you have them you throw them all in and mix them up. This was my first attempt and I made plenty so I would have awesome leftovers for the next few meals.

Ingredients:

Short grain brown rice (I couldn't find this at the store so I used long grain, but it really does make a huge difference!), cooked
Quinoa, cooked
Barley, cooked
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large sweet potato, cooked and cubed
1 large red bell pepper, cubed
5-10 mini portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 large bunch collard greens, chopped in large pieces
1-2 avocados, cubed
2 ears corn (you can cheat and use canned), grilled
2-3 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Herb Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp honey
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup cilantro

Directions:

1. Blanch collard greens in boiling water for a few minutes to reduce bitterness. Remove and drop in cold water to stop the cooking process.

2. Steam the pepper, mushrooms, and greens until soft but still a bit crispy.

3. Combine all ingredients for the vinaigrette in a food processor and blend until the cilantro is finely chopped.

4. Combine everything in a large bowl and toss with the herb vinaigrette.

Italian Wedding Soup, by Diane

It's getting chilly here, which means experimentation with soups for dinners! This week I tried Italian Wedding Soup, despite my blogger counterpart Cheryl's current connection with Italy! As it turns out, it's origins are from Spain and the wedding part refers to a marriage of meat and vegetables. I liked the soup but I wasn't fond of the parmesan in the meatballs, otherwise it was a good meal. I had to use mini farfalle instead of orzo like it should be, next time I would try it with orzo because the pasta took over a bit!

The recipe is adapted from: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/01/escarole-soup-with-turkey-meatballs-52.html

Ingredients:

For the Meatballs:

20 oz (1.3 lb) ground turkey breast 99% lean
1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 large egg
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
 

For the soup: 

1 tbsp EVOO
1 small onion, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
8 cups fat-free low sodium chicken broth
1 (16 oz) head escarole, chopped
fresh cracked pepper, to taste
3 oz (1/2 cup) uncooked orzo


Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat EVOO and onion, carrot, and garlic until softened. Pour in chicken broth and cover.

2. While the broth is heating up, in a large bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, onion, garlic, salt and cheese. Using your hands, gently mix all the ingredients well until everything is combined. Form small meatballs, about 1 tbsp each, you'll get about 40.  

3. When the broth comes to a boil, drop the meatballs in, add the orzo and spinach. Add fresh pepper, adjust salt as needed and cook about 10 minutes or until orzo is done.