Roasted Avocado Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Roasted Avocado Tomatillo Salsa Verde

2 ½ lbs. tomatillos, husked and rinsed
2 large onions
10 cloves garlic
4 jalapeños
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. salt
1c packed cilantro
3 avocados
1 lime (optional)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Peel and chop the onions into quarters. Place the tomatillos, onions, garlic and jalapeños on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil.

Roast in the oven for 15 minutes—until the exteriors are blistered but the insides are still slightly raw.

Meanwhile, half the avocados, remove the seeds, and scoop out the flesh. Cut the jalapeños in half and scrape out the seeds. Discard seeds.

Place HALF of the tomatillos, onions, jalapeños and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until mostly smooth.

Add HALF of the cumin, salt, cilantro and avocado. Pulse until the avocado is pureed into the mixture. Taste for salt.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients. If you desire an extra tart quality, add a bit of lime juice at the end.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

One of my favorite things in the world is Mexican Food! So much so that I married a hispanic man to feed my need for Mexican Food because he's so handsome & sweet :) So when I came across a recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup, I had to do a recipe makeover!!  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have!

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion

1/2c green beans

2 large carrots
2 stalks celery
1 medium jalapeno
4 cloves garlic

1 lb. chicken breast
6c low sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes w/chiles
1 tsp oregano
½ tbsp cumin
1 medium lime
½ bunch cilantro, chopped

Dice the onion, green beans, carrots, celery, and jalapeno (scrape the seeds out of the jalapeno before dicing). Mince the garlic. Cook the onion, green beans, carrots, celery, jalapeno, and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until tender.

Add the chicken breast, chicken broth, canned tomatoes with chiles, oregano, and cumin to the pot. Bring the whole pot up to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to low, place a lid on top, and let simmer for one hour.

After simmering for an hour with a lid on, carefully remove the chicken breast from the pot and use two forks to shred the meat. Return the meat to the pot. Squeeze the juice of one lime into the soup. Get as much juice as possible from the lime by using a spoon to scrape the inside of the lime.
Rinse the cilantro and then roughly chop the leaves. Add to the pot, give it a quick stir, and serve.

Family Recipe: Baked Swedish Meatballs

The last several weeks I have been doing some genealogy research on my family and came across some cool information dating all the way back to the 1700's.  Tracing my ancestry back to Germany, Sweden and Norway, I found my mouth watering for my Grandmother's Swedish Meatballs!  With my diet restrictions in mind (dairy & gluten free) I decided to conquer her recipe while substituting my healthier options when necessary. To my surprise they turned out AMAZING!!  I really enjoy them with roasted veggies like carrots, asparagus and a few fingerling potatoes.  I hope that you enjoy the warmth of my favorite family comfort food as much as I have.

*Recipe Note: It's important to use 80/20 ground beef when making meatballs so they don't get dried out. We will be baking them on a rack to allow excess fat to drip off.)

Baked Swedish Meatballs

3 slices of gluten free bread (I use Udi's)
1/2c unsweetened almond milk
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp butter, divided
2 large eggs
handful of fresh parsley, chopped (you can use dried herbs too)
2 pounds grass-fed ground beef
salt & pepper to taste

In a large bowl, break apart the gluten free bread into large pieces.  Add almond milk and toss to coat. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, saute onions and butter until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add chopped garlic and cook 2 minutes. 

Drain off excess almond milk from bread.  Add sauteed onions and garlic to bread.  Stir, then add eggs, parsley and salt & pepper.  With a handheld mixer, mix ingredients on low-med until well combined.  Add ground beef and continue mixing with handheld mixer until all ingredients are well combined.

Preheat oven to 400F. With a spoon, scoop mixture into your hands and roll all remaining mixture into meatballs.  Place meatballs on a rack that fits into a baking pan.  Place meatballs in the oven and bake 20 minutes or until no longer pink inside.

Remove from oven and serve or refrigerate for up to 5 days.  These meatballs also freeze really well!

Fried Goat Cheese Balls with Peppered Honey

10 oz goat cheese
1/3c all-purpose gluten-free flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 egg, beaten with a splash of water
1 ¼c gluten-free bread crumbs
¼c honey
¼ tsp hot pepper flakes, finely crushed
Vegetable oil, for frying

Cut the goat cheese into 16 even pieces. Roll into 1-inch sized balls. Place on a baking sheet covered with waxed paper and freeze for 20 minutes. Combine gluten-free flour and salt in a shallow bowl. Place egg and water mixture in another bowl, and the gluten-free bread crumbs in a separate shallow bowl. Set aside. Stir together honey and hot pepper flakes- set aside. In a large saucepan, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil to 375 degrees F. Once the cheese is out of the freezer and is no longer sticky, roll the balls into the flour mixture and shake off excess. Dip into the egg mixture, and then coat evenly in the breadcrumbs. Working in batches, gently drop the coated goat cheese balls into the hot vegetable oil. Fry each ball for about 2 minutes, turning over once after 1 minute. The balls should be golden brown. Remove the balls with a slotted spoon, drain, and place on a plate with paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Once all of the balls have been fried, place on a serving plate and drizzle the spicy honey mixture over the goat cheese. Serve immediately with toothpicks.

Eggs On A Cloud - Protein Packed!

This is a great protein packed breakfast that is quick, easy and absolutely delicious! You'll have your breakfast essentials - eggs, bacon & cheese - all in one yummy bite!

4 eggs
1/4 cup grated pecorino-romano
1/4 cup chopped chives
1/4 cup crumbled bacon
pepper

Separate eggs, putting whites in 1 large bowl and yolks in 4 separate small bowls. Whip whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in cheese, chives and bacon. Spoon into 4 mounds on parchment-lined baking sheet; make a deep well in center of each. 

Bake at 450 degrees for 3 minutes, then add 1 yolk to each well; season with pepper. Bake until yolks are just set, 2 to 3 minutes.

Mexican Salmon Burgers

Cilantro Lime Mayo

1/4c olive oil mayo
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Combine mayo ingredients in a small bowl; cover and chill.

Burgers
1 lb salmon fillet, skinned & chopped
1/4c gluten free breadcrumbs (I use glutino brand)
2 tbsp fresh cilantro
2 tbsp chopped green onion
1 tbsp chopped jalapeño or serrano pepper
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
                                                                                 1/2 tsp salt
                                                                                 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

                                                                                 olive oil spray

Place salmon, breadcrumbs, cilantro, onion, peppers, lime juice, salt and pepper in a food processor; pulse until well blended. Divide salmon mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 3/4-inch-thick patty.

Heat a grill or pan over medium-high heat. Spritz pan or grill with olive oil spray. Add patties; cook 2 minutes. Carefully turn patties over; cook 2 minutes or until done.

Spread about 1 tablespoon mayonnaise mixture over bottom half of each gluten free hamburger bun. Top each serving with 1 salmon patty, and whatever fixin's you like. I enjoy spinach, onion slices, tomato and pickle slices. Enjoy :)

Mini Peanut Butter Cups - No Refined Sugar

1/2c cacao powder
1/4c coconut oil
1/4c pure maple syrup
1/4c all natural, organic peanut butter* (or almond butter or cashew butter)
12 mini cupcake wrappers

Mix cacao powder, coconut oil, and maple syrup in a small bowl until a smooth consistency is formed.
Place a small spoonful of the chocolate into the bottom of the cupcake wrappers.
Add a small scoop of peanut butter to the chocolate and spread evenly.
Top the peanut butter with a small scoop of the chocolate and spread evenly to coat the surface.
Place the mini Peanut Butter Cups in the freezer.
Serve once they are hardened and chilled (about 1 hour).
If you are storing them to eat later, store in the freezer.

Jess - Renew Health Coaching

Coconut Flour Pancakes with Strawberry "Syrup" & Whipped Goat Cheese

My daughter absolutely loves pancakes! And every Saturday morning she gives me this cute little look that screams..."Please mommy, make me pancakes." I on the other hand cannot eat pancakes every Saturday, the same texture, flavors - the same syrups. Ugh! Gotta change it up. I experimented today with using coconut flour instead of my typical oat flour or almond flour and WOW! The flavor was absolutely amazing! Topped with a Low Sugar Strawberry "Syrup" instead of maple syrup and then a zing of Whipped Goat Cheese... Well, this just might be a pancake recipe I can do every week! A recipe like that can't help but be shared! Enjoy!

Coconut Pancakes                                                     Strawberry "Syrup"
4 eggs (best at room temperature)                               1/2 lb of frozen strawberries               
1c almond milk                                                              2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp coconut oil                                                           1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla                                                                   2 packets of SweetLeaf Stevia
2 tsp honey                                                                   1 tsp honey
1/2c coconut flour                                                         1 tbsp ground flaxseed     
1 tsp baking soda                                                      
1/4 tsp sea salt                                                             In a small pot over low heat combine all ingredients.  
1/4 tsp cinnamon                                                          Mash strawberries with fork and cook until thickened 
1/4 tsp cardamom                                                         Remove from heat and serve.
1/4 tsp nutmeg

       

Preheat griddle over medium heat. In a small bowl, mix your eggs, almond milk, coconut oil, vanilla and honey.

In a medium bowl, combine the coconut flour, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. Whisk together to combine evenly. Stir in wet ingredients until incorporated.

Test griddle to make sure it's not too hot. Do this by dropping 1-2 drops of water on the surface. If the water "dances" it's too hot. If it sizzles, but does not move around the surface, your griddle is ready.

Spoon a couple tablespoons of batter onto the griddle to make each pancake. You may need to spread them out slightly if the batter is thick. Try to make them small and be very mindful not to burn them (coconut flour browns quickly)

Once the bottoms are slightly browned and the tops look dried out, it's time to flip :) Cook an additional 2-3 minutes.  Top with Strawberry "Syrup" and Whipped Goat Cheese :)

Jess - Renew Health Coaching

Chicken Sausage Tacos

1 link Lean Low Sodium, Organic & Gluten Free Chicken Sausage
1c mixed field greens
2 tbsp goat cheese
1 tbsp Raspberry Merlot Dressing
3 gluten free corn tortillas

Slice the sausage and heat in a pan.  Remove sausage and heat your corn tortillas.  Plate your tortillas, add field greens to each, divide sausage among the 3 tortillas, add goat cheese and raspberry merlot dressing. Enjoy! :)

Beet Greens with Caramelized Onions

1 tblsp olive oil
1/4 lb yellow onion, diced
1/8 tsp fresh thyme
1/8 tsp fresh rosemary
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 tsp salt
fresh black pepper
1/8c balsamic vinegar
4c beet leaves, washed and chopped

Heat the oil over medium high heat till it stops sizzling.  Add onions and reduce the heat to medium-low.  Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized, about 30 minutes.  Add the thyme, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper, and vinegar stir well to combine.  Cook for 5-15 more minute.  Add beet greens just to wilt.

Baked Quinoa Zucchini Chips with Sriracha Sauce

• 1 large zucchini, sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds
• 2/3 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ cup toasted Quinoa Flour (see note)
• ¾ cup Quinoa Flakes
• ½ cup crumbled rice crackers OR panko breadrumbs
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• Olive oil spray
• 
  
Sriracha Dipping Sauce
• 1/3 cup tofu mayo or Greek Yogurt
• 1 – 3 teaspoons Siracha (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 3 cloves minced garlic

1. Preheat oven to 425. Place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
2. Combine almond milk and lemon juice and set aside.
3. Place quinoa flour, quinoa flakes, rice crackers, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, sea salt and black pepper in a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
4. Dredge zucchini wedges in quinoa and cracker mixture. (Only a little bit will stick) Dip in milk mixture and then recoat with the quinoa mixture. Spray or brush with olive oil. Place on wire rack and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. If desired, serve with Sriracha Dipping Sauce
5. For the dipping sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix until well combined. Store in the refrigerator until chilled.

Never toasted quinoa flour? It’s really simple but completely optional. I do it because I love the nutty and less earthy taste that it brings out. All you need to do is line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the flour out to about 1/4 inch deep. (I do a box at a time.) Bake on 220 degrees for 2 1/2 hours. Allow to cool completely and then store in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer.

Thank you CookingQuinoa.net for this great recipe!! - Jessie

Grajeda Family Salsa

8 cloves garlic (leave skin/paper on)
1/2 lb onion
1/2 lb jalapeno or sorreno peppers
4 lbs hot house tomatoes
2 lbs tomatillos
1 bunch cilantro
3 tblsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp cumin
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 500F degrees.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange garlic, onion, peppers, tomatoes and tomatillos on the baking sheet. (DO NOT REMOVE GARLIC PAPER) This will prevent the garlic cloves from burning and becoming bitter.

Place in oven until the skins of the red tomatoes break and begin to peel back. Remove skins/papers of the garlic. Place all roasted ingredients & cilantro into the food processor. Process until slightly chunky. Add tomato paste, cumin & salt. Process again. (DO NOT OVER-PROCESS or your salsa will get runny.)

Serve warm or refrigerate up to 2 weeks. I have froze this salsa many times and it defrosts nicely! :) Enjoy!!!

Oat & Nut Muesli

2c old fashioned oats
grated zest 2 oranges
1/4c orange juice
1/2c unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tblsp slivered almonds
3 tlbsp sunflower seeds
3 tblsp sesame seeds
3 tblsp flaxseeds
3 tblsp amaranth puffs
3/4c dried currants, chopped dried apricots or dried cranberries


Preheat oven to 400F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Pour the oats on the pan in a line. Top with zest and orange juice. Next pour the coconut in a line and sprinkle with cinnamon. Continuing this stripe pattern, add the nuts and seeds.  Bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from oven and place in glass bowl. Toss with amaranth puffs and dired fruit.

Muesli can be stored for several weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Refrigeration is needed to prevent the nuts and seeds from becoming rancid.

Flourless Chocolate Chip Blondies

I wish I could take credit for this recipe because quite frankly...it's amazing! Thank you to Monique at Ambitious Kitchen for this remarkable recipe! I have fallen in love with MANY of her dessert recipes. Gluten free baking is tricky business and I don't like to mess with perfection. Try out her Black Bean Avocado Brownies too...delicious!

Now to the Blondies! I'll post the recipe here, but please visit her website and check out her recipes and photos!

Flourless Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondies with Sea Salt

olive oil spray
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup all natural almond butter or peanut butter
1/3 cup pure maple syrup or agave nectar (you can also use honey if you’re not vegan)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup vegan (or regular) chocolate chips plus 2 tablespoons
sea salt, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray 8×8 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a food processor, add all ingredients except chocolate chips and process until batter is smooth. Fold in 1/3 cup of chocolate chips, I like to use dark chocolate because it has less sugar but it’s up to you. Note: Batter will be thick and super delicious, so you could actually just eat it on it’s own! (no eggs!)

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan then sprinkle 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips on top. (The batter may stick to your spatula, so I like to spray my spatula with nonstick cooking spray first.) Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and edges are a tiny bit brown. The batter may look underdone, but you don’t want them to dry out!

Cool pan for 20 minutes on wire rack. Sprinkle with sea salt then cut into squares. Makes 16 blondies.

For variations and nutrition information, visit the Ambitious Kitchen website.

Cheddar Jalapeno Chicken Burgers with Guacamole

1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
1/2c finely chopped yellow onion
1/4c finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp chopped jalapeño
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/3c finely shredded cheddar cheese
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Prepare an indoor or outdoor grill over medium heat.  Transfer the ground chicken to a medium bowl. Add in the onion, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, cumin, paprika, cheddar cheese, salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Using your hands, incorporate everything together. Make sure everything is evenly incorporated without over mixing the ground chicken. Form the mixture into four 1/2"-thick patties. Grill burgers over medium heat until cooked through, 5-7 minutes per side.

Serve each patty in a burger bun topped with guacamole and sour cream and salsa if desired.

Green Eggs & Bacon Sandwich

This sandwich was a stroke of genius and is a great lunch idea for kids. Lots of veggies, but they can't taste them!

Yesterday, I decided to use up a bag of fresh Kale I had lurking in the fridge. I hate letting food go to waste and unfortunately I bought one too many bags at Trader Joe's.  With the expiration date in sight, I wanted to make one of my favorite dips.  If you've never tried Kale Pesto, you are sooo missing out! Kale tends to be very fibrous and bitter unless prepared well.  Using it in a pesto is a great way to accentuate the natural flavor and healthy nutrients while masking the slightly bitter flavor.

And why not add some bacon? EVERYTHING can be fixed with BACON! That's right! I said bacon! Yes, you're still on a "healthy eating" blog.  At both Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, you can find a great selection of smoked, uncured meats with no nitrates or preservatives. They also have much less sodium than traditional bacon and when used in moderation can really spice up a meal :)

Green Eggs & Bacon Sandwich
1 egg, scrambled
2 slices uncured, nitrate free bacon
2 pieces of Udi's Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread
2 tblsp Kale Pesto (see recipe below)

Slowly saute bacon until crisp, set aside to drain.  Scramble your egg.  Toast your bread. Spread with Kale Pesto and top with bacon and eggs. It's just a little bit of heaven!!! :)

Kale Pesto
1/2c olive oil
1/2c grated parmesan cheese
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled
2-3c Kale Leaves, stems removed
3 tblsp pumpkin seeds
pinch pepper
pinch of salt (to taste, may omit)

Place all ingredients in blender/Vitamix until smooth and well combined. Keep refrigerated.

And why would you eat Kale, you ask? Check out these stats for yourself!!

Rolled Oats vs. Steel Cut Oats

I get a ton of emails every day. These emails turn into great posts to help support you in making the best possible food choices.  Sometimes time vs nutrition can be a sticky situation, especially when it comes to oatmeal.  Remember, we're going for the best nutritional value and the least processed food choices.  

Here's the breakdown and truth about one of my favorite breakfasts...Oatmeal.

Oat groats: All types of oat cereals start out as groats, which are hulled, toasted oat grains. (Removing the hull doesn’t remove the bran, by the way.) If you have the patience to cook these down, try them out. For most, they can be challenging because of the chewy-ness factor.

Steel-cut (Irish) oats: These are the least processed type of oat cereal. The toasted oat groats are simply chopped into chunks about the size of a sesame seed. Much easier to chew and still have a creamy texture. These oats take about 45 minutes to cook, but can be easily prepared in a Crockpot over night.

Stone-ground (Scottish) oats: These are the same as Irish oats but they are ground into smaller pieces, closer to the size of a poppy seed. Both Irish and Scottish oats have to be cooked before you eat them. Irish oats take about 45 minutes to cook, Scottish oats about half that long (because they are smaller).

Old-fashioned rolled oats: These are made by steaming the toasted groats and then running them between rollers to create flakes. Rolled oats can be eaten as is or cooked into oatmeal (it takes about ten minutes). If you are stuck for time, this would be your next best options. These are more creamy and have a softer texture vs the Steel-cut or Stone-ground.

Quick-cooking oats: These are simply rolled into thinner flakes, so they cook a little faster.

Instant oats: These are the most heavily processed. The groats have been chopped fine, flattened, pre-cooked, and dehydrated. Instant oatmeal usually has added salt and sugar. (Sneaky!) I suggest leaving the instant oats on the shelf. In the time it takes you to boil the water to make instant oatmeal, you can cook some old-fashioned oats on the stove.

Are Steel Cut Oats Healthier?
Because they go through some extra processing steps, you might assume that rolled oats would be less nutritious than steel-cut oats, but it turns out that the differences are quite minor. Steel cut, stone-ground, old-fashioned, and quick-cooking rolled oats are all made from whole grains and they all have approximately the same amount of fiber, protein, calories, and other nutrients.

In particular, oats are a good source of soluble fiber. This type of soluble fiber can help reduce cholesterol and helps keep blood sugar levels steadier—which is helpful for managing and preventing diabetes and insulin resistance as well as keeping your appetite in check.

References: Nutrition Diva

Crunchy Bok Choy Slaw

1/4c rice vinegar
1 tblsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp agave
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
6c bok choy, very thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 tsp sesame seeds

Whisk vinegar, oil, agave, mustard and salt in a large bowl until the agave dissolves. Add bok choy, carrots and scallions.  Toss to coat with the dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Vegetable & Brown Rice Soup

1 tblsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
10 shitake mushrooms, sliced
2 green onions, chopped
5 carrots, chopped
10 small red potatoes, chopped
1 tblsp parsley
1 tblsp basil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tblsp  + 2 tsp tomato bouillon
5 cups water
1 (12 oz) jar roasted red peppers
1c TVP (textured vegetable protein)
1c beef broth
2c brown rice, cooked

In a large pot on medium-high heat, add the olive oil, onions, mushrooms and green onions.  Saute until onions are tender.  Add chopped carrots, red potatoes, parsley, basil, salt and pepper.  Continue to saute for 4-5 minutes.  Add the tomato bouillon and water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the TVP.  In a glass measuring cup, bring the beef broth to a boil in the microwave.  Pour the boiling beef broth unto the TVP and stir just to combine.  Allow the TVP to sit for 5 minutes until all the beef broth has been absorbed.

Add the moist TVP and the cooked brown rice to the large pot and continue to simmer until the potatoes and carrots are tender.  Serve immediately :)

Turkey & Wild Rice Casserole

6c water
Salt to taste
3c uncooked wild rice blend
2 bay leaves
3 tblsp olive oil, divided
1/2c chopped onions
2 tblsp wheat flour (or gf flour)
1 1/2c chicken broth, hot
Ground nutmeg to taste
Pepper to taste
2/3 lb yellow squash, grated (with skin & seeds)
1/2 lb cooked turkey, shredded
1/2c dried cranberries
1/2c finely chopped walnuts
2 tblsp chopped mixed herbs (such as sage, thyme, rosemary or oregano)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a 9- x 13-inch casserole dish; set aside.

Bring 6 cups salted water to a boil in a medium pot. Add rice and bay leaves and stir briefly; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked through, about 40 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves; fluff rice with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes more. Whisk in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper; set sauce aside.

Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add squash, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer to a large bowl. Add reserved cooked rice, sauce and squash and toss to combine. Add turkey, cranberries, walnuts, herbs, salt and pepper and toss again, just until combined. Transfer rice mixture to prepared dish and bake until hot throughout and just golden brown on top, 20 to 30 minutes.