Planning My Thanksgiving Hearth: Day Two

Here's another veggie-friendly side dish that will be adorning my Thanksgiving table.  Once again, Kali will be preparing this one for us.  I'm really looking forward to the flavor combination in this recipe - the sweetness of the cranberries combined with the savory onion, balsamic vinegar & parsley - delicious!

Photo courtesy of Southern Living

  Balsamic Root Vegetables

For a delicious twist, top with a sprinkling of cooked and crumbled bacon just before serving.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings
Total: 4 Hours, 25 Minutes

Recipe Time: Total: 4 Hours, 25 Minutes

 Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes 
• 1 pound parsnips
• 1 pound carrots 
• 2 large red onions, coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries 
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar 
• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

• 1. Peel first 3 ingredients, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Combine parsnips, carrots, onions, and cranberries in a lightly greased 6-qt. slow cooker; layer sweet potatoes over top.
• 2. Whisk together sugar and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl; pour over vegetable mixture. (Do not stir.)
• 3. Cover and cook on HIGH 4 to 5 hours or until vegetables are tender. Toss with parsley just before serving.

For those of you "counting," here's the nutrition information from my Mastercook program:

er Serving (excluding unknown items): 252 Calories; 7g Fat (25.6% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 45g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 400mg Sodium. PointsPlus Value: 4

Have a Beauty-Full Day,