Maple-Roasted Carrots and Parsnips

Here is a delicious way to serve carrots and parsnips that I found on At Home with Vicki Bensinger.  We love carrots but I often forget about how delicious and sweet roasted parsnips can be.  The original recipe from Nigella Lawson calls for only parsnips but Vicki took it a step further and added carrots.  What a great combination!  These would be perfect addition to your holiday dinner table but they are so simple to prepare they are wonderful for any week night meal also.  

The maple syrup gives them an even greater depth of sweetness that is simply wonderful! Last spring I was very lucky to win a giveaway at Fresh New England of some wonderful maple syrup from the North Hadley Sugar Shack in Maine, along with some maple candy and beautifully-packaged soap.  Thank you, El :) I used this amazing New England maple syrup on my roasted carrots and parsnips but any good maple syrup will taste great.

 

These were some of the prettiest carrots I have ever bought! 

After looking at all of my carrot-styling shots, I noticed the great shadows on this next one and I had fun with PicMonkey and added a spooky overlay to make it a little more creepy for Halloween...Mwahahahaahhaha...

Maple Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
Adapted from At Home with Vicki Bensinger who adapted it from Nigella Lawson
Printable Recipe

Serves 6

1-1/4 pounds parsnips
1-1/4 pounds carrots
4 fluid ounces vegetable oil
3 1/2 fluid ounces maple syrup
Salt &  Freshly-ground Pepper to Taste
Optional: Freshly chopped parsley and spinach or arugula leaves for serving

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel the parsnips and then halve them crosswise, then halve or quarter each piece lengthwise.  Prepare carrots the same way. 

Mix together the vegetable oil, maple syrup and salt & pepper. 

Place the parsnips and carrots on a rimmed baking pan. Pour the oil mixture over the vegetables and toss them well so that all of the pieces are coated.

Roast  for 40-50 minutes, or until they are tender and golden brown.

To serve, place a layer of cleaned spinach leaves or arugula on a platter and spoon the roasted parsnips and carrots on top.  Sprinkle with fresh, chopped parsley, if desired.

Note:  The original recipes states that it serves 8 but I feel the portion size after roasted is better for 6.

Fried Parsnip Garnish for Salad

Looking for a new, delicious way to garnish your salad?Try fried parsnips! They add a wonderful, slightly sweet crunch to any salad. A perfect alternative for anyone who can't eat nuts.

My husband and I were very recently introduced to this wonderful salad garnish by our son-in-law who is a chef.

Fried Parsnips:

With a potato peeler, peel a parsnip root as you could a carrot. Then, using the peeler, and with a little additional pressure, peel the parsnip into wide strips from bottom to top.

Place the strips (which should be about 1 inch or so wide at the base to perhaps a half inch at the top) in a stack. Take a sharp chef's knife and cut them on the bias into julienne strips about 1/8 inch wide. Toss the strips with a little flour, just enough to coat, add a little salt and pepper.

Fry them in a very small sauce pan with about a half inch of canola oil preheated over medium-high heat.
Add them in small batches so you don't over-crowd. Fry they turn a light golden brown and drain on paper toweling. Use immediately or, you can prepare them ahead and reheat in a warm oven.