Dessert Fries

I glossed over some of the good eats I enjoyed this weekend -- and there were a ton. But one of my favorites resulted from a creative change in ingredients because I forgot I didn't have something on hand. OK. What am I talking about??? I love the Nut Butter Parsnip Fries Angela (over at Oh She Glows) posted a while ago. I've made all different variations, including parsnip fries WITHOUT nut butter on them. When I craved the sweet and salty combo Saturday night but found I was missing plain almond butter, I got a bit nutty (pun most certainly intended).

So, these may not be the healthiest fries in the world. They're also not the most unhealthy. And despite what you may think (maybe something like: "Ew! Parsnips and chocolate?! Disgusting!), the chocolate isn't over powering. In fact, it adds this spectacular flavor note. It's more like a mole sauce versus a slice of chocolate cake. I added black and cayenne pepper for punch, too.

If you love the whole salty, sweet, chocolate-peanut butter combo, you'll love these kicked-up-a-notch parsnip fries. And they're not for dessert, really. I was just kidding in my post title. Enjoy as a snack or with lunch or dinner!


What you'll need . . .

• 3 medium parsnips, peeled
• 1 tablespoon dark chocolate almond butter (you can also mix in 1/2 tablespoon of cocoa powder into some almond butter, or just use plain for plain nut butter fries)
• 2 tablespoons natural honey peanut butter (again, you can use plain PB)
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil (or canola)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Lay out a cookie pan with a sheet of parchment paper (to avoid mess).
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the nut butters, peppers, and oil. Set aside.
3. Slice your parsnips into fry-like pieces (thin, but not too thin). Place in a medium bowl and pour the nut butter mixture onto them. Mix with a spoon (or your hands).
4. When they're well coated, transfer the parsnip strips to the cookie sheet and spread out to allow for even baking.
5. Set the timer for 15 minutes. Then, when that 15 minutes has passed, take the to-be fries out and flip. Set the timer for another 20 minutes.
6. Flip them again and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes -- they'll be slightly crisp. Slightly burn-y (but in a good way).
7. Then enjoy!

Looking for more creative ways to use parsnips in your cooking and baking? Check out this post for parsnip dumplings. And check out Angela's original post for nut butter parsnip fries. As she writes, they will truly "change your life!"

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Who's Got the Juice?

We recently bought a container of Lakewood 100% organic carrot juice. We're both not huge juice fans . . . so besides drinking it, we tried coming up with some creative ways to use it in our everyday recipes. This stir-fry experiment works beautifully.

Why carrot juice? It's one of the richest sources of vitamin A that can be used in the daily diet. It also ranks high as a source of the other vitamins, especially those of the B complex. Its mineral content is equally rich, and includes calcium, copper, magnesium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, chlorine, sulfur, and iron. (Source and more info . . .)

In addition, Lakewood lists these benefits in the bottle:

• Reduce Phytosensitivity and improve eye health
• Strenghten the immune system and promote healthy cell growth
• Help support healthy liver functions and fight anemia
• Reduce the risk factors related to Heart Disease such as High Blood Pressure

What are you waiting for?
Go grab a container of this juice and get cooking!

What you'll need . . .

• 1 tbsp potato starch (or corn starch)
• 3/4 cup pure carrot juice
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp horseradish
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• Black pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 small parsnips, skinned and chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• Large zucchini, chopped

Method . . .

1. In a large bowl, mix together the potato starch and carrot juice, then add the vinegar, sugar, horseradish, soy sauce, ginger and pepper until well mixed. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry the garlic and onion in oil about 5 minutes.
3. Add the parsnips and cook for five minutes over medium to medium-high heat. They should start to soften.
4. Add the mushrooms and zucchini and stir-fry for another 2 to 3 minutes -- you want them still slightly crisp (not soggy).
5. Add the sauce mix to the veggies and cook until mixture thickens, approx 5 to 7 minutes.

One of our other favorite juicy recipes includes POM pomegranate juice (and it's also inspired by Richard Simmons!). So, if you're looking for a perfect dessert compliment for this simple stir-fry, check out our Pomegranate Dream Cakes.

Have you ever used juice in your cooking or baking? Let us know! Just leave us a comment or shoot us an email at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Parsnip Dumplings with Maple-Balsamic Sauce

I must blame Angela (from Oh She Glows) for my obsession with parsnips. She posted this amazing recipe for nut butter parsnip fries a couple weeks ago; now, we're hooked. Before this discovery, I had never tasted the writhing root vegetable (which, by the way, can be used in a multitude of ways -- boiled, roasted, baked, or used in stews, soups, and casseroles). And I never expected the pale carrot-cousin of sorts to have so much nutrition, especially potassium and fiber.

Our obsession has reached a critical point: We bought ALL the parsnips at Wegmans this past weekend (to be fair, they don't stock many). Of course, we're wondering what to do with them all now that we've run out of almond butter. So, this recipe gave us the opportunity to use them in yet another creative way.

Confession time: This dish was originally a try at gnocchi, but the end result resembles dumplings, so we just had to change the name. Also, this recipe looks incredibly long and intimidating. But I assure you, it was easy enough for a dinner on a Tuesday night. No worries!


What you'll need . . .

• 2 pounds parsnips (we estimated, used how many you see shown above)
• 2 to 3 cups flour (we used a mix of wheat pastry and unbleached white)
• 1 tablespoon flax meal
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 4 tablespoons water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Walnut or olive oil
• Three heaping handfuls of baby spinach

Method . . .

1. Skin parsnips and chop off ends. Then chop into thinner slices for easy steaming. Steam until soft and completely mash-able. We did this on the stove, but a microwave-safe container with a little water in it should do the trick, too.
2. Transfer to a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mash with a fork or potato masher until all lumps are gone.
3. Then in another large bowl, heap in one cup of flour. Then throw in the parsnip mash.
4. Mix together the chia seeds, flax meal, and 4 tablespoons of water. Wait for about two minutes until the mixture thickens. Then pour on to of the parsnips (this mixture is acting as an egg to help stabilize the whole thing).
5. Gently mix everything together with a spatula or even your hands. However, don't knead too terribly much, it'll still be very sticky.
6. Add the next cup of flour . . . the key to this whole process is to mix gently until just combined -- resist the urge to handle the dough too much.
7. If needed, add in the next cup of flour -- but in 1/4 cup intervals. You want the resulting dough to not be sticky, but not be too dry.
8. Then divide dough into four equal parts and on a lightly floured surface, roll out into a long tube about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter. Then cut into 1/2 inch slices and press with a fork gently. Set aside on plates until you're ready to cook.
9. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Sprinkle a bit of salt in there, too, for good measure. Then cook the dumplings in two shifts.
10. Add the first half of the dumplings, stir so they don't stick to the bottom . . . and then time for about 3 to 4 minutes.
11. Beside your boiling pot, place a large fry pan with two tablespoons of walnut or olive oil in it. Don't put any heat on this pan just yet.
12. I used a slotted spoon to transfer the "done" dumplings to this fry pan. You'll know they're done cooking when they start to float to the top. Do not overcook.
13. Repeat with the second half of the batch. Transfer again to the fry pan.
14. Discard the boiling water . . . then over low heat, toss the dumplings with the spinach until the spinach starts to wilt.
15. Serve as is . . . sprinkle some nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese on it . . . or make the following: Maple-Balsamic Sauce.

What you'll need . . .

• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 teaspoons Earth Balance or other butter substitute
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons potato starch

Method . . .

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and Earth Balance. Heat until bubbling.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the soy sauce and potato starch. Then mix into the maple mixture.
3. Stir in the garlic and then turn off heat and allow to thicken slightly.
4. Spoon over your parsnip dumplings. A little goes a long way.

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