Looking for a quick dinner or side dish? This takes about 30 minutes and is pretty simple to prepare.

Whole wheat penne and edamame pack this dish with protein and fiber, as well as a hearty serving of disease preventing soy isoflavones.

A little orange juice and zest cut the bitterness that chard can often times have. And the added vitamin C helps to enhance the absorption of iron. It’s a win-win combo. Chard is also chock full of minerals - potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper and manganese.

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Zesty Penne with Edamame and Chard

(Serves 8-10)

1/2 pound whole wheat penne

1 bag frozen edamame, shelled

1 bunch of chard, stems removed, both stems and leaves chopped

1 small white onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBS olive oil

Zest and Juice of 1-2 oranges

Salt and pepper to taste

- Bring pasta to a boil until al dente. Add edamame during last couple minutes of cooking. Drain and place back into pot.

- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large saute pan (or wok) and saute onions, garlic and chard stems until soft and fragrant. Add chard leaves, zest and juice and simmer for about 5-7 minutes. Salt and pepper while cooking.

- Add chard mixture to pasta and toss to coat. Salt and pepper as needed.

Nutrition: ~1 cup = Calories: 160 Fat: 4g Saturated Fat: 1g Protein: 8g Carbohydrates: 24g Fiber: 3g Sodium: 120mg

Additional nourishing benefits: Greater than 40% daily value for vitamin A, Vitamin K, Folate.

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A little parmesan sprinkled on top would also be great. Be creative and add what you like!