The point is, you’re going to have some cold nights in the next couple months. To help prepare you, we have a warming stew filled with delicious ingredients. Pair the stew with your favorite salad to complete the meal. The recipe below is recommended by the Clinical Dietitians at Sherman Health and comes from eatingwell.com.

Middle Eastern Chickpea & Rice Stew

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 cup orange juice
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth
• 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed
• 3 cups peeled and diced sweet potato, (about 1 pound)
• 2/3 cup brown basmati rice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; add onions and cook, stirring often, until tender and well browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add cumin and coriander and stir for about 15 seconds. Add orange juice and broth. Stir in chickpeas, sweet potato, rice and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and the sweet potatoes are breaking down to thicken the liquid, about 45 minutes. Season with pepper. (The stew will be thick and will thicken further upon standing. Add more broth to thin, if desired, or when reheating.) Serve topped with cilantro.

Nutrition
Serves 6. Each one and a half cup serving is 317 calories; 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat); 3 mg cholesterol; 58 g carbohydrates; 12 g protein; 9 g fiber; 362 mg sodium; 461 mg potassium.

Do you have a go-to winter recipe? Share it below!

And that’s fine! You are free to eat what you want to eat to celebrate the holiday. But if you’d like a few lighter options to go with the Thanksgiving staples, give these three dishes a shot.

Thanks to Eating Well for the wonderful recipes. Simply click the image accompanying each entry to learn the how to make them!

1. Pear, Prosciutto & Hazelnut Stuffing

Stuffing does exactly that. It stuffs you chock full of fat and carbohydrates, rendering you tired and bloated by the end of the meal. But it doesn’t have to be that way. According to Eating Well, “Crisping the prosciutto and toasting the nuts adds a powerful punch of flavor to the stuffing without going overboard on fat.”

2. Green Bean Casserole

This classic Thanksgiving side mixes a couple things up to add a healthy boost, most notably ditching the canned soup and the accompanying fat and sodium.

Substitution Option: Try fresh green beans instead of frozen French-cut.

3. Cranberry, Cherry & Walnut Marmalade

Super delicious and super easy to make. It’s a win-win! From Eating Well: “Fresh cranberries get crunch from walnuts and an infusion of sweetness from dried cherries in this take on a classic marmalade. Leftovers are great on a turkey sandwich.”

Important Tip: If you’re featuring it this Thanksgiving, make it asap, cover it, and refrigerate until the time comes.

Remember, click each image to learn its recipe. Got any favorite holiday recipes of your own? We’d love to hear them!

Ginger Sorensen is a registered and licensed dietitian at Sherman Health, and her expertise has been sought in the past. She’s back on the blog with a great recipe for those chilly autumn days.

Mushroom Soup Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup minced shallots
• 4 cups chopped button mushrooms
• 3 cups chopped assorted mushrooms, such as shiitake, portobello, oyster
• 1/3 cup dry sherry
• 6 cups reduced sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons parsley for garnish

Mushroom Soup Preparation
Heat oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until soft (3-5 minutes). Increase heat to medium high. Add chopped mushrooms; cook, stirring until liquid is almost evaporated (10-15 minutes). Stir in sherry and cook for 3-5 minutes or until sherry evaporates. Add broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sliced shiitake mushrooms; continue to cook until mushrooms soften (about 10 minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Recipe adapted from The Enlightened Eater’s Whole Foods Guide by Rosie Schwartz.

Homemade Gourmet® will be at the Sherman Hospital Tree House Gift Shop on Wednesday, May 18 from 10am – 3pm. Choose from almost 100 items including dips, breads, sauces, desserts, crockpot seasonings, soups, pastas, marinades, and more! Gluten-free and diabetic options are also available.

Cash, checks, and credit cards are accepted. Proceeds from the sales will go to Sherman Hospital. Check out HomemadeGourmet.com to learn more about them and their delicious products!

Yes, Cinco de Mayo has passed and we’ve moved on to Seis de Mayo, but in case you’re craving some extra Cinco de Mayo flavor in the near future, here are a few easy recipes you can handle at home!

Ten Minute Enchilada Sauce – allrecipes

Easy Chicken Fajitas – readyseteat

Rachael Ray’s Super Nachos (pictured left) – foodnetwork

Southwest Cilantro Lime Mango Grilled Chicken Sandwiches – allrecipes

Mexican Chocolate Cake (pictured right) – csmonitor

If you have a question for a Sherman Health dietitian, email luke@shermanhealth.com with your question.