Baked Veggie Chips

Make your own veggie chips: not only is it easy to do, but it's healthier too.  Often, potato chips you buy are fried or cooked with cheap, unhealthful oils, among other things. Here, you can satisfy your craving in a way that delivers a nutritious boost!

1/2 pound fresh beets (about 2 medium) 
1 medium red potato 
1 medium sweet potato 
1 medium parsnip 
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder  
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano  
Dash pepper

Peel vegetables and cut into 1/8-inch slices. Place in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil. Combine the remaining ingredients; sprinkle over vegetables and toss to coat.

Arrange in a single layer on racks in two ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. 

Servings: ~7 

Adapted from tasteofhome.com 

Tunisian Vegetable Stew

Harissa is a hot chili paste used traditionally in Moroccan and Tunisian cooking.  It is a wonderful condiment to have on hand to spice up many different dishes!  Look for it in the ethnic cooking section or the specialty deli section at Whole Foods Market or PCC.

For the stew:

2 onions                                              

2 stalks of celery                              

4 carrots                                              

3 cloves garlic                                    

1/3 cup olive oil                                

2 teaspoons harissa                                        

1 lb rutabaga

1 parsnip

1 red onion

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ cup dried apricots

28 oz can of diced tomatoes

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

For the couscous:  (May substitute quinoa or brown rice.)

4-1/2 cups couscous                      

½ teaspoon ground cumin          

½ teaspoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons salt

7 cups boiling water

Optional garnishes:

seeds of one pomegranate        

chopped cilantro

To make stew:

1.     Peel and roughly chop the regular onions, two of the carrots, and the garlic.  Roughly chop the celery.  Add all to a food processor, and grind to a fine mush.  Set aside

2.     Peel and halve the red onion, cutting into thin half moons.  Peel and roughly chop the remaining carrots, the rutabaga and the parsnip.

3.     Heat the oil in a large kettle.  Add the processed vegetables, and cook until softened.  Add the red onion, and sauté gently for a few minutes.  Add the rest of the chopped vegetables and toss all with the oil and processed vegetables.  Sprinkle the seasonings over all.  Allow the vegetables to heat until slightly softened.  Snip the dried apricots into fourths and toss into the kettle.  Stir in the tomatoes.

4.     Add the stock and harissa, stirring again.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and cook at a gentle simmer for at least an hour, until vegetables are softened.

To make couscous:

1.     Mix together all ingredients except for boiling water in a large glass bowl. 

2.     Heat water to boiling, and stir into couscous mixture.  Cover and let stand for 15 minutes.

3.     Fluff the couscous with a fork.

To serve:

Place vegetable stew over a bed of couscous, brown rice, or quinoa. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and fresh cilantro.  Enjoy!

Serves 8-10

Preparation time: about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Adapted from a recipe in Nigella Lawson’s cookbook, “Feast: Foods to Celebrate Life”

Baked Parsnip/Potato Pancakes

This recipe comes from Rachel Edelman at about.coms kosher cooking page. There is a great video of how to make these pancakes at http://video.about.com/kosherfood/Potato-Pancakes.--6N.htm! They would are excellent for breakfast with applesauce and scrambled eggs (thanks to John Rajcich for the suggestion).

Serves: 4-6

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs potato, peeled

2 small parsnips, peeled

1 small onion

1 egg

½ c whole grain or gluten free flour

2 tblsp chopped parsley or 1 tblsp of a dried herb of choice (rosemary, thyme, sage)

½ tsp salt

Pepper

Equipment: a food processor can be used to grate the vegetables if desired. Otherwise, a hand grater and a baking sheet are needed.

Instructions:

-          Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

-          Grate the potato, and by fist full, squeeze out the liquid into a small bowl, setting the liquid aside.

-          Grate the parsnip and onion into a large bowl, add the grated potato.

-          To the bowl of potato water, pour off the top liquid, leaving the starch at the bottom. Beat the egg, salt, pepper, herb and flour into the starch. It will be very thick, much like a dough!

-          By hand, mix the dough into the shredded veggies, until combined. Let sit for 10 minutes. Pat into pancakes about 3-4” across, and place on a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet (6-8 pancakes/sheet).

-          Bake for 13 minutes. Remove the baking sheets, brush or spray the tops with oil, flip each pancake, and return to the oven for another 5-7 minutes, until done.

-          Try it with maple syrup !

Apple and Parsnip Soup

Makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium parsnips, chopped
4 cups Vegetable Broth
2 medium cooking apples, chopped

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 dash salt, to taste
1 dash black pepper, to taste

Heat oil in a medium soup pot. Add onion and parsnips and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Add vegetable broth, apples, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. In a food processor, purée the soup. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Serve hot.