Parsnip Chips!

Parsnips. Those carrot looking things that have always seemed to elude my grocery cart. However, being part of a mail-order produce co-op it gives us the chance to try different things (though I'm not sure if Parsnips are really all that different). To us however, they were a first!

I wanted to do something somewhat different so I decided to check Pinterest for some ideas, and right away the concept of making them into a fried chip popped right out! High in fiber, and seemingly better than a potato, I thought I'd give it a whirl!

Not much of a "recipe" to share, but I peeled them, sliced them in my madoline, and fried them up! Shortly after coming out of the oil I sprinkled some kosher sale as they were on a paper towel.

Note: These cook quick! Just 10-20 seconds change them from golden brown to overdone, so do keep an eye on them!

Clearly a winner, absolutely delicious. Some of the thicker cut ones almost were a bit soft in the middle and the sweetness made me think of sweet potato fries! So for thick fries, or thin chips, check out the Parsnip!

~Matt

Rainbow Pork?

OK, well not quite rainbow pork, but I did have those rainbow carrots, some red cabbage, a pineapple, and a pork tenderloin on hand (oh, and some bacon!). I thought about doing a kabob, but since I couldn't find my kabob skewers (and my rosemary is gone), that idea ended quickly!

I started about by prepping the carrots for roasting. I wanted them to roast evenly so for most of them I cut in half, and then took the thick end and halved that. Some olive oil, salt, pepper, is all I wanted as I really wanted to taste the carrot as I've never had these before. I left some of the greens on because they looked nicer and the tops are actually quite yummy!

 

 

Next I used a half of a head of red cabbage chopped roughly, with a diced yellow onion and set it aside ... fast forwarding ahead, Sabina (my 6 year old) said she loved the cabbage!

Next, my wife had already cut up some pineapple, so I took that pork tenderloin, butterflied it a bit, and rolled the pineapple inside it (and then tied it up with some twine). The pork was actually a store bought pre-marinated tenderloin so that made things a bit easier.

Then I just got a nice browning on the pork, and threw it in a 375 degree oven until it was cooked through.

 

Once the pork was about done, I rendered a couple slices of bacon in a skillet, cooked the onions down, and then the cabbage until soft (but not mushy). That took about 10 minutes. Once done cooking I drizzled in some real nice balsamic vinegar (about 3 Tablespoons) and tossed the cabbage mixture to coat it.

 

Finally, I just took the cabbage, laid it down on the platter, with the roasted pineapple pork, and carrots and brought it all to serve! Colorful and Delicious!

 

It was another meal worth a repeat, though the way I randomly cook it may be 3 years down the road! However, the carrots are a keeper. They looked beautiful, and we all could tell the difference in the carrots! The red ones were the sweetest by far! Clearly these roasted rainbow carrots are a great side to bring at a gathering! Enjoy!

 

 

Wasabi & Maple Chicken ... with Bacon!

Everything is better with bacon right? Reminded me of this meme ... Ha! :)

 

 

So I was thinking of a camping trip I took with my girls and the food I had. My friend took pork tenderloin and marinated it in a wasabi sauce, and then grilled it. It was delicious! So I thought I'd try to go for my own version with what I had in the house.

 

I simply took some chicken breast, chunked it up into about 2" squares, and soaked it for a few hours in a marinade of wasabi, pure maple syrup, soy sauce, and olive oil. Make it to your taste, especially with the wasabi, but not to worry because the heat form the wasabi won't transfer as much as you think. Also, use honey if you don't have the maple syrup, I just thought it would go well, especially with the bacon.

 

Once marinated, I took each piece of chicken and wrapped it in a slice of thick cut bacon. Not only simply because bacon is awesome, but it would help keep the chicken breast moist since it was skinless (oh, I didn't say that) :)

 

 

I put it on a cooling rack and placed it on a baking sheet to keep it from sitting it it's own oil, and put it in at 375 (with the fan) until golden brown (about 30 minutes).

 

 

They came out very good, the marinade was great, and the bacon did indeed keep it moist. If I had to do it over again, I'd bump up the temp to about 425 to get the bacon extra crispy without overcooking the chicken. I served it with a nice antipasto salad and was good to go!

 

 

Make again? Absolutely! I just plan to kick up the temp as I mentioned but certainly worth trying out yourself ...

 

Hungry,

~Matt







New Stuff ...

So my weekly produce delivery (from Door to Door Organics) arrived with a few new items that I've never tried! Always fun (for me!) to try new things.

First, Kiwi Berries! I've never had them, but was excited to try them whatever they were. Apparently they have more nicknames than seeds, and aside from looks and taste (which is pretty significant if you ask me) aren't a kiwi at all. Just a similar looking berry, and I will say similar tasting too. Most of them went with my 1st grader to school as her healthy snack, but I did manage to try a few before they were gone and would certainly try them again!

Next, rainbow carrots! I have yet to cook them, but will be sure to let you know how they come out. I think they look pretty neat, and as someone who likes to present food well, even if they taste the same, it makes for a nice presentation! I will let you know for sure, and I even plan to have my wife help me with a blind taste test so I can subjectively report back! :)

Finally, there were a couple new squash that came in the box. They both look the same with respect to color, but the long one was called a delicata squash, and the other was called a sweet dumpling squash. While the name delicata sounds awfully familiar, I clearly have not had anything that had this color pattern, but hey, it's a squash! :)

The squash however became one of the 4 meals we made for Rebekah that day to freeze, so while I got a taste (and it was good, not as sweet as a butternut, more like an acorn) it was all for her, and she wanted to help make it too! :)

 

Roasted in the oven in a water bath, and scooped out into the ice cube trays for easy serving sizes! =)

 

 

 

So all in all a fun delivery with a few new items! Have you ever tried any of these? I would love to hear your feedback! :)

~Matt