Roasted Cranberry Walnut Sweet Potatoes & Barley Lentil Pilaf

These 2 recipes would make great additions to the Thanksgiving table, not to mention, they are both SO simple and easy to throw together, so you spend less time slaving in the kitchen (especially if you leave out baking and stuffing big ol' turkey!!)

Even my 2 year old liked both and asked for more!  If that's not a rave review, I don't know what is!

Roasted Cranberry Walnut Sweet Potatoes

This sweet and savory side dish is a nice alternative to the sticky sweet marshmallow sweet potato goo most people serve at Thanksgiving.  I've always found that too sweet, but this dish is a nice balance of flavors and is more elegant on the table!

*Adjust ingredients to suit the size of guests you are serving (this recipe served 2 adults)

Preheat oven to 400

Spray a Pyrex with cooking spray

Ingredients:

 1 Large Sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 "  cubes
1/2 c. Craisins or other dried cranberries
1/2 c. Walnuts (raw)1/2 tsp. Powdered ginger
1 TBSP Cinnamon
1 TBSP Brown Sugar


1-2 TBS Coconut Oil (this makes all the difference in flavor, but you could use butter)
*Coconut oil can be found in health food stores, vitamin shops or Whole Foods, it comes in a jar and is solid, but melts at 70 degrees.  It can be pricey, but it is worth it for the flavors and the fat is the "good fat"
1/2 tsp. Salt

Method:

Mix all together, except cranberries and pour into Pyrex
Bake, checking every 15-20 min. until sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife
*Add cranberries in during last few (10 min. or so) minutes of baking - otherwise they tend to burn  

Barley Lentil Pilaf

This dish is so easy it almost makes itself!

Full of nothing but whole grains, fiber and protein, it makes a hearty side dish or quick and simple main dish.

Ingredients:

6 c. cooked pearl barley (we make ahead and freeze it, so it only takes 5 min. to thaw!)
1 can green lentils
1 packet Lipton Recipe Secrets Beefy Onion or Onion, made as soup with 4 c. water
*Yes, these are both vegan! The Beefy Onion makes a GREAT vegan gravy for Thanksgiving as well!  Just follow the directions on Lipton's site for making gravy with the packet!


Method:

In a large soup pot, combine cooked barley with soup
Add lentils and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 30 min.
(more liquid will absorb after it cools)