Parsnip Fries

There is a church on the same block where I work that gives food away once a week. On this particular day, I was out grabbing my lunch and ran into the Pastor of the church, who was familiar with me, as our clients had previously done some volunteer work with him in past years. He asked if I wanted a bag of free food, but I declined because I know God has blessed me, and I wouldn't want to take a bag, and then, have someone show up who really needed one and they not have anymore. He understood, but urged me to take a few parsnips, as they had huge 12 pound bags that they were opening up and dividing to those coming for food.

"I don't think I've ever cooked with parsnips before," I told him.

"You're a smart young lady, I'm sure you'll figure something out," he said with a smile.



The Before Pic



First things first, I wanted to know exactly what parsnips were, besides looking like huge white carrots. I figured if they were going to be incorporated into my healthy eating, I should at the very list know what the deal was. Considered a root vegetable, parsnips are the sweeter cousin of a carrot. Like carrots, they are also full of vitamin C. They are also high in potassium. Score!

I was still unsure of what I was going to do with these parsnips of mine as I stood at the kitchen sink and scrubbed them a bit before starting to peel them. Immediately, the smell of carrots and what I can describe as lemon hit my nose. I had seen a recipe while surfing for carrot fries and wondered if I could turn my parsnips into fries. After some searching (God bless smartphones!) I found a recipe for parsnip fries that sounded divine!



My parsnips all coated in deliciousness,
just waiting to be baked!



Some tips before you get started:

• Make sure the fries are on a single layer of foil when cooking them. Otherwise they will steam/roast instead of getting crispy around the edges.
• The smaller they are cut down, the more they will crisp up. Turning them every 10 minutes definitely proved to get a more even crisp on them.
• While I used herbes de provence for the seasoning of my fries, I do understand that you may not have that readily available in your pantry.  You definitely can use rosemary, maybe some cumin, or season these like you would your favorite french fries.

You are going to love these! I Had mine along side some baked chicken and a spinach salad with peppers, onions, and avocado. Truly delish!

Have you cooked with parsnips before? If so, what's your favorite way to make them? If not, are you going to try these parsnip fries?

Photo credit: BonAppetite.com  

Parsnip Friesadapted from The Paleo Effect

Serves 4 

Ingredients
21/2 pounds of parsnips, peeled and cut into strips
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 Tablespoon herbes de provence (or your favorite seasoning mix)
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat your over to 400° degrees.

Peel and cut your parsnips into strips. Whatever size french fry is fine, but note that the thinner they are the more crisp they will be (shoestring size might work best, but again, personal preference.)

In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic, honey and herbes de provence. Pour the mixture over the parsnips and toss well to make sure all parsnips are coated evenly.

Spread the parsnips on a cookie sheet or baking tray lined with foil, making sure they are arranged in a single layer.

Roast the parsnips for up to 35 minutes, tossing them every 10-12 minutes, until browned in spots. Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (obtained from Recipe Calculator):
Calories: 206
Total Fat: 7.4g   Saturated Fat: 1.0g     Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.7g     Monounsaturated Fat: 5.2g
Cholesterol: 0.0mg
Sodium: 20.3mg
Potassium: 740.5mg
Total Carbohydrate: 35.2g    Dietary Fiber: 7.2g   Sugars 10.3g
Protein: 2.7g
Vitamin A: 0.0%
Vitamin C: 44.1%
Iron: 6.7%