Side of Parsnips with Cinnamon

Let me just say "ILOVE PARSNIPS". Really I do. And I can tell you that when I saw that I got an entire bag of parsnips in my CSA box I was truly pleased (thank you Harmony Valley Farm). It might be because they are shaped like a carrot, but yet not at all. These hearty root veggies are high in potassium, have loads of vitamin C and have a decent protein content (all foods have protein). Of course, the real reason is probably because they are so darn sweet when cooked. Its like a treat! At least I think so. So today when I decided to saute a few I decided I wanted them to seem more dessert like. Try this recipe and let me know what you think.

Parsnips with Cinnamon

Ingredients:

• 5 Parsnips
• Tsp of ground cinnamon
• Ground Pepper
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp of virgin coconut oil

Directions:

1. Scrub the parsnips (they can be peeled , but it is not necessary)
2. Chop the parsnips into similar sized chunks
3. Heat the coconut oil in the pan @ medium heat
4. Toss the parsnips in and stir to coat in oil
5. Cook for 6-10 minutes - test with fork. You want them to be firm, but have a little give. 
6. Add a grind of fresh ground pepper - stir
7. Add the cinnamon - stir
8. Serve as a delicious side for breakfast, lunch or dinner! 

Yummy!

Squash with a twist of...

Tahini!

I made a squash dish last night that I decided to share. It isn't fancy & only requires a few ingredients - which is the BEST!

Delicata Tahini Squash from Integrative Nutrition:

This takes 5 min to prepare and then 30 minutes to bake.

The reason why I choose to make this recipe was because you can eat the whole squash (meaning the skin & seeds too).

Ingredients:

• 2 delicata squashes (about 7 inches long)
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 1 tablespoon tamari - I used 2 tbsps
• Pinch of cayenne (optional) - I used some hot pepper flakes I got from an Asian Market
• 1 tablespoon water - I didn't use this - I added a bit more tamari
• Black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Slice squash in circular discs about 1/8 inch thick, leaving seeds.
3. In a small bowl mix tahini, tamari, cayenne and water, adding a bit of water to get a creamy consistency.

In a large bowl, mix squash slices in sauce until each piece is coated.

Place on a non-stick baking sheet, sprinkle with pepper and place in the oven for 15 minutes.

Flip pieces and bake another 15 minutes, or until the squash is soft and tender.

I thought this was really tasty. It wasn't too sweet. Squash is already sweet so the tahini gave it a little pop without the typical sweetness of honey or brown sugar people like to add to root veggies.

I think next time I will try peanut or cashew or almond butter to see how that mixes things up...