Spicy, Garlic-Braised Kale, Carrot and Corn Medley

Time for a quick side dish for Thanksgiving.  How did the holidays sneak up on us so fast?  When I was at the salon the other day someone said, ‘two more paycheques till Christmas’.   I swear everyone gasped!  I think that perspective really drove it home and you could see panic start to spread throughout the room.  Everyone started comparing notes and most confessed that they hadn’t even started thinking about it, let alone do any planning or shopping.  Too much!!

Well, no worries – when it comes to the food, I’ve got your back!  There’s this post for healthy dinner suggestions and this post for healthy dessert options and here I’ve got a little something extra I’m throwing in because the idea popped into my head as I was drifting off to sleep the other night.  Yes, I dream about food – sad, isn’t it?

I’m all about carrots these days and I know most people like to include corn on their holiday tables so I thought this little spicy jumble of goodness might appeal to those with an adventurous palate.  I added some jalapeno, red peppers and some fun things like ginger and maple syrup.  Sounds a little wacky, doesn’t it? It might be but it’s deliciously wacky!  And when I found these baby organic, tri-colored carrots it was a done deal.

Of course, this doesn’t have to just be a holiday dish, you can have it any old time and while dinner is cooking, you can prep everything ahead of time and throw it together in 10 minutes.   I even added a wee bit of soy sauce, sesame oil and sherry at the end for that lip smacking flavor.

You can leave out the jalapeno if the kids don’t like it spicy.  This dish is so full of important nutrients for your little guys that you’ll want to include it in your regular meal rotation especially because it takes no time at all.  Best of all when you’re in a rush, you could skip the chopping and just use frozen veggies.  I used frozen corn because that’s all that’s available here this time of year.  Keeping a good supply of frozen veggies on hand is a life saver for busy weeknights.

If you give this a try, take a quick pic and share with me on Instagram or Twitter.  I’d love to give you a shout out.  Cheers!

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