Turnips (who knew?)

 

Turnips are one of those poor ugly root veggies a lot of people don’t try.  They’re purple, for God’s sake. I grew up eating them as part of a winter medley of vegetables, but they were a little bitter and I wasn’t fond of them.

Now they’re a staple, peeled and sliced raw in veggie platters, and most of them are eaten … by me, still.  The turnip needed a facelift so I began trying them in soups and stews.

They contribute to a flavorful, complex broth. The bitterness disappears and holds up better than potatoes. Turnips have starch, but unlike potatoes they pack a nutritional punch. And if you grow your own, the greens are edible, too.

They are low in calories and high in nutrients and fiber.  One medium turnip has 54% of daily vitamin C needs as well as 8% of manganese, 7% of potassium and 5% of vitamin B-6, Folate and Copper. It has just 34 calories, 8 grams of carbs and 1 gram of protein.

Cooked and mashed, turnips are also a good thickener alternative to flour or potato.

Cauliflower Potato Bake (sooo underrated)




 



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This morning I tried the leftover mash for breakfast potato pancakes. I shaped the mash into rounds and tried to pan brown them – which made a big old gooey mess.  Next I baked them and they turned out much better in a 350 oven for 25 minutes. Don’t spare the cooking spray so they peel off the foil.

Friends have done this forever but I’m just coming up to speed. I was advised to use equal parts of potato, cauliflower and either turnips or parsnips but we prefer a 60/40 split cauliflower to potato. It is just  delicious.

Bake the potato and remove skin. Cut and trim the cauliflower, cover in plastic wrap and microwave until it is mushy.  Let drain, cool slightly.  If you want the cauliflower to go unnoticed when combined with the potatoes, you’ll need to break down the texture by processing it the Cuisinart with some of the cooking liquid. A little cauliflower texture doesn’t hurt, though.


We hand mash because it doesn’t release the starchy flavor in the potato the way a hand mixer does. Whip together with a little milk and seasonings – we add a triangle of low fat Laughing Cow cheese for creaminess.

The first ones were a little too crusty on the edges but otherwise browned up nicely and tasted great.  Once I work through the kinks, I can see how this will replace hash browns without anyone feeling a little deprived.

Nutritional comparison:
White potatoes, boiled without skin, flesh only, 1/2 cup
67.1 cals, 1.3 g protein, 15.6 g carbs, 0.1 g fat
Cauliflower, boiled, 1/2 cup
14.3 cals, 1.1 g protein, 2.5 g carbs, 0.1 g fat