Wellness for the Family: Post-Holiday Recipes

It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s also the craziest and most chaotic time.

If you’re still reeling in from Christmas celebrations and not yet ready to face a new year, no worries! We are helping you get dinner on the table.

Michelle brought us the recipes in this Wellness for the Family with registered dietitian Grace Derocha of

Here are the recipes:

Wild Rice Mushroom Bake

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked wild rice
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 pound sliced fresh mushroom
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ¾ cups uncooked long grain rice
• ½ cup sliced almonds
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of pepper
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Place wild rice in a large bowl and cover with boiling water; soak for 1 hour. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in butter until tender.
3. In a large bowl, combine the mushroom mixture, wild rice, long grain rice, almonds, broth, cream, salt, and pepper.
4. Transfer to a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 75 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer or until rice is tender.

Slow Cooker Sausage, Bean and Pasta Stew

Ingredients

• 1 onion cut into ½ inch pieces
• 2 carrots finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 8 ounces of dried, white beans
• 6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage
• One 14.5 ounce can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth or stock
• One 4 ounce chunk parmesan rind
• ½ cup ditalini pasta
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• Crusty bread for serving

Instructions

1. Spread the onions over the bottom of a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker and top with the carrot, garlic, white bean, sausage links, and fresh thyme bundle. Mix the diced tomatoes with the broth and 3 cups water and pour over the sausages. Add the parmesan rind.
2. Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours, the beans will be tender and start to fall apart.
3. Uncover the slow cooker, remove and discard the thyme bundle and parmesan rind and transfer the sausage links to a cutting board. Stir the pasta into the stew and continue to cook until the pasta is cooked around 20 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat, cut the sausage into bite-sized pieces and stir into the stew along with the parsley and vinegar. Season with salt and better. Serve with grated parmesan sprinkled on top and a slice of crusty bread on the side.

Enjoy!