One of our most requested classes at the Thomas F Chapman Family Cancer Wellness Center is Healthy Slow Cooker. We highlight recipes and ideas that make  slow cooker dishes delicious and healthy. Chef Nancy recently made this salad to accompany a lunch-full of slow cooker soups and stews. It’s a great way to highlight the luscious root veggies and warming flavors of winter.

Mint is more than iced tea and ice cream! Fresh mint adds a refreshing aroma, flavor, and pop of health benefits to just about anything. It contains beta-carotene, iron, manganese and Vitamin C. In fact, mint oil has been known to relieve GI issues as well as decrease nausea.

Roasted Root Veggie and Pomegranate Salad

2 Cups Chopped Carrots

2 Cups Chopped Parsnips

1 Cup Chopped Red Onion

¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided

Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Zest and Juice of 1 Orange

½ Cup Roasted Chopped Pecans

2 TB Grated Ginger

1 TB *Pomegranate Molasses

1 TB Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tsp Dijon Mustard

Baby Spinach

1 Cup Pomegranate Seeds

**Chiffonade of Mint

Step One

Preheat the oven to 400F. Toss the Carrots, Parsnips and onion together on a sheet tray with 1 TB of the olive oil, salt and pepper. Slide into the oven and roast for 30 minutes or until the veggies have browned.

Step Two

Remove from the oven and toss with the zest and juice of the orange, the pecans and the ginger.

Step Three

While the veggies are cooling shake the remaining oil, molasses, vinegar, mustard and a sprinkle of salt and pepper together in jar. Put the spinach on a large platter, drizzle with half of the dressing and toss. Top with the roasted veggies and drizzle with dressing. Add the pomegranate seeds and mint.

*If you can’t find Pomegranate Molasses, use honey instead. Honey is sweeter, though, so use 2 teaspoons.

** To chiffonade mint, it is just strips of fresh mint. Stack several leaves on top of each other, roll them up like a little cigar and walk your knife through the mint to cut long thin strips.