Source: www.canolainfo.org | Story Posted: November 09, 2015 | Category: Canola Oil in the News, Media Releases

Spice up the Holidays with Latin ‘Super Sides’

CHICAGO — Prepare a fiesta this holiday season with healthy side dishes inspired by the Latin kitchen. CanolaInfo’s “Super Sides” recipe collection draws on regional ingredients, such as chile peppers, cilantro, yuca and quinoa, to amp up flavor and bring Latin American style to holiday tables.

“These recipes are a delicious change of pace to more traditional holiday menus and they are also good for you with an average of only 125 calories per serving,” says Manuel Villacorta, R.D., an award-winning dietitian and author of “Whole Body Reboot,” who developed the collection.

Manuel Villacorta

Green Bean Saltado is Villacorta’s healthy twist on the Peruvian classic lomo saltado, showcasing the popular holiday vegetable with cumin, cilantro and aji amarillo, a mild chile paste. In Fiesta Rice, he combines a Latin trio of bell peppers, walnuts and raisins with nutrient-packed wild rice. Marsala-Quinoa Gravy is a gluten-free alternative to most gravies that relies on quinoa flour for thickening and canola oil to keep saturated fat to a minimum.

Each delicious and festive recipe in the “Super Sides” collection is made with heart-healthy canola oil, including:

“These ‘Super Sides’ have all the Latin flavors I love plus an extra measure of nutrition thanks to canola oil,” says Villacorta, a native of Peru. “Canola oil’s mildness lets the taste of other ingredients shine and it contains the least saturated fat and most plant-based omega-3 fat of all common vegetable oils.”

Manuel Villacorta

For more recipes and facts about canola oil, visit www.canolainfo.org.

For an interview with Manuel Villacorta or high-resolution recipe photos, e-mail fyi@canolainfo.org.