Friday, January 15, 2010

Whole Roasted Carrots and Parsnips

It's easy to overlook the root vegetables in the supermarket. Uninspiring in their boiled state, and requiring lots of peeling and chopping, they usually get relegated to soups and stews as a flavor enhancer. But if you roast them, another side emerges. Crispy, creamy, and nutty flavored, they suddenly gain respect as a side dish.

I'll roast just about any vegetable. Tossed with a bit of olive oil and sprinkled with coarse salt, vegetables can be as tasty as potato chips. Recently, I read that researchers believe that whole carrots are more nutritious than chopped, so I decided to roast tonight's carrots whole. And because I had parsnips on hand, I added those to the pan, also. I scrubbed and peeled both vegetables, than placed them on a baking sheet and sprinkled them with about two tablespoons of olive oil and some kosher salt. I roasted them in a 450 degree oven for about 40 minutes, turning once.

Carrots are a good source of Vitamin A and help protect against heart disease and cancer. Parsnips, a relative of the carrot, is rich in potassium and contains even more fiber than its colorful cousin.

These are so good and hopefully extra-nutritious. It's going to be tough resisting them until dinner.

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