Hello, Parsnip! You and I are going to be good friends!

My relationship with root vegetables has spanned from the common carrot, potato and sweet potato all the way to the more exotic daikon and taro root.  I have never, however, had a parsnip.  In my attempts to continue my quest to eat healthier, I decided to give this overgrown pale sister to the carrot a try.  Parsnips are an excellent source of dietary fiber, potassium and vitamin C. 

For our maiden voyage into parsnip land, we opted for a tame and tasty--

 

Baked Parsnip Fries with Rosemary

from epicurious.com

 

• 2 1/2 pounds parsnips cut into 3" x 1/2" strips
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped rosemary plus additional sprigs
• 1 large garlic clove
• 3 Tbsps. olive oil
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

Preheat over to 450°.  Mix parsnips, chopped rosemary, garlic and oil on a large rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread out in a single layer and scatter rosemary sprigs over.

 

Roast for 10 minutes; turn parsnips and roast until parsnips are tender and browned in spots, about another 10-15 minutes.  Crumble leaves from rosemary sprigs and discard stems.  Sprinkled cumin over and toss to coat.  Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

 

Sadly, my husband and I were so excited to try these, that there is no finished product photo, but here's a sneak peak of them right before they were put in the oven. 



 

 

T25 Quinoa Cakes

To be fair, I think they're actually called Quinoa Patties in the T25 book (which has mysteriously gone missing).  I just think that anytime you add the word cakes at the end of a food title, it makes it sound cuter and tastier.  So, in the name of all things cute and tasty, here is the recipe is for Quinoa Cakes.  

Quinoa Cakes

• 3/4 cup cooked quinoa
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 4 tsp flax seed
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 large egg
• non stick cooking spray

Combine cooked quinoa, bell pepper, flax seed, salt, pepper and one egg in a medium bowl and mix well.  Heat medium sized skillet to medium, spray with non stick spray. Form mixture into two balls, place in pan and flatten.  Cook cakes for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.  

*Note:  I did a lot of creative reworking of this recipe.  I figure if you have the quinoa and egg in there, you can pretty much toss anything random that you have in your fridge into the mix.  I happen to have some leftover shredded carrot and a half an onion; no red pepper to be found anywhere, even at the back of the bottom drawer.  The only flax seed I had in the house had dehydrated blueberries in it (even I draw the line at what I add to quinoa) so I went with some chia seeds. 

Hearty and Healthy Kale and Quinoa Minestrone Soup

Okay, I'll admit it.  My brother in law sent me this recipe and I thought, "Wow..how hippie can this soup be?  Kale and quinoa?  Yeesh!"  But I decided to give it a try.  I'm not a fan of kale..I think it tastes like dirt. I really wish baby spinach was still trendy because that, I like. The great news is that if you're not a fan of dirt..err..kale, this is a great way to eat it without actually having to taste it.  The soup is hearty, filling and a great meal on those cold winter days.  

Kale and Quinoa Minestrone Soup Recipe 
from elizabethrider.com

Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Serves 6-8

• 2 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow or white onion, chopped small
• 1 large carrot, chopped small
• 2 ribs of celery, chopped small
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried basil (or 1-2 Tbsp fresh, finely chopped)
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed
• 1 28 oz can of crushed or diced tomatoes (including juices)
• 1 can of garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 quart of vegetable or organic chicken stock
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 bunch laticino kale (Tuscan kale), stemmed and chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup dried quinoa, prepared according to package instructions
• fine sea salt
• fresh group black pepper
• purified water

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat.  Add the onions, carrots, celery, bay leaf, a large pinch of sea salt and pinch of black pepper and sauté 5-6 minutes until the veggies are soft.  Add the garlic, dried basil, and oregano and continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes until very fragrant.  (If using fresh basil, wait to add until you add the kale.)  Garlic burns easily, so watch it carefully or reduce the heat until you add the liquid.  Add the tomatoes with their juices and cook another minute.  Then, add the beans, stock, 2 cups of purified water; turn the heat to high to let it come to a boil for one minute.  Reduce the heat to medium low, then add 1 tsp of red wine vinegar plus all of the cooked quinoa and chopped raw kale.  Cook 5 minutes then turn off the heat.  Allow the kale to wilt for another 10 minutes.  Discard the bay leaf.  Serve immediately, or cool to room temperature to freeze or refrigerate.  

*I used frozen baby kale in my recipe and fire roasted diced tomatoes for a subtly smokey flavor.  

There is nothing more satisfying during a weekday, than remembering that dinner is already simmering away in the crock pot.  An added bonus is when it's actually healthy and filling! 
This recipe has quickly found it's way into the regular rotation at our house.  
It's ridiculously easy, inexpensive and is a crowd pleaser.  

Turbofire Chili
from the "Fuel the Fire" cookbook

• 1lb raw 93% lean ground turkey
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes, with juice
• 11/2 cups whole kernel corn
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
• 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans (or kidney beans), drained
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• low fat shredded cheddar cheese to top (optional)

I brown the turkey in a pan along with the onion, throw it straight into the crock pot and then pile everything else in.  Since I am usually doing these steps around lunchtime, I cook on high for 4-5 hours.  

The amazing thing about this recipe, and most crock pot recipes, is that the flavors really come together.  I've made slight variations on this recipe, from using a whole can of tomatoes, to omitting the paste, to nixing the corn and it still tastes amazing.

Today, however, we're going wild....we're replacing the turkey with organic bison!