Parsnip Puffs....

Reprisal of an old post for Terra who was wondering on her blog what to do with parsnips... 

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I had no idea how these would turn out... but.....they have been declared "a keeper" by Mr. BumbleVee...

Without further ado... may I present these tasty little parsnip puffs from the April issue of Recipes Only Magazine.... oh, and I guess I better admit.... it was April 1988 .... told ya I saved things...especially old recipes and mags with recipes in them. Every so often I drag out a handful and peruse...admire the beautiful food photography...and purge ...or not... this one gets to stay. It's a tiny little thing... 5 X 7.. more like a brochure..won't take up any space at all tucked in with my cookbooks.

This is the recipe straight from the book...but, don't forget... all recipes are meant to be toyed with.... I used Apple Jelly as I had some home made from a friend on hand... and I halved the recipe as I only had a pound of parsnips... ...

Parsnip Currant Puffs

2 lbs. parsnips

2 eggs, separated

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

salt and pepper

3 TBSP red curant jelly

Peel parsnips, cut into about 6 pieces each and cook, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water for 10 minutes or until soft. Drain well in a sieve. Place in food processor (in batches if necessary) and puree.

Add egg yolks, ginger and salt and pepper to taste. Process until light and fluffy. (Recipe can be prepared ahead to this point, covered and refrigerated up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.)

In medium bowl, whip egg whites until stiff but still moist. Fold into parsnip mixture.

Divide most of the mixture amongst 8 buttered (6oz./175ml) custard cups or individual souffle dishes.

Make well in each, spoon in one eighth of the jelly and cover with remaining parsnip mixture, smoothing the top. Place filled dishes in shallow pan with boiling water halfway up sides of dishes.

Bake in preheated 325 F (160) oven about 20 minutes or until slightly puffed and set on top. Serve immediately.

I didn't bother with a food processor... I cut them in small pieces.. boiled them.. they mashed up nicely ... I even saved the lovely parsnip-y water with all the nutrients in it.   I freeze all water I ever boil a veggie in.. and save it for soups.... you can't believe how much flavour it adds..not to mention nutrition.

I just filled each ramekin half full.. placed a big flat dollop of the Apple Jelly .. and then filled the ramekin with more parsnip mixture.

I served the ramekin right on the plate... it was still pretty hot... but, we were careful... peas, couscous and leftover chicken got a new lease on life with this interesting and pretty little side ....

Brussels Sprouts

Yes....they originally were popular in Belgium...hence the name.  A lot of folks don't care for them...I love them.  If you overcook sprouts, they release a sulphurous odor ... which is one of the reasons some people don't care for them.

This recipe is for raw sprouts.  I prefer them at least slightly cooked myself because they are sometimes a bit strong or bitter to me if raw. But... still love 'em ... however, I do sometimes wish we could all taste fruit and veggies directly from the vine..(or tree or whatever) ... at the peak of freshness and perfectly sun ripened.  If wishes were horses, as they say.......

Okay, back to this particular recipe.

I watch a new cooking show called Best Recipes Ever ... they have a ton of great recipes available online... called "tested til perfect".  Find them at canadianliving.com


Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad

3  tbsp. light mayonnaise
2  tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
1  tbsp. lemon juice
1  tsp. each Dijon mustard and Anchovy paste ( I omitted the Anchovy paste)
1  large clove garlic, minced
1/2  tsp. Worcestershire sauce
pinch pepper
4 cups (1 L ) shredded Brussels sprouts (about 16 sprouts)  (she used food processor to shred them)
2  tbsp. each extra virgin olive oil and diced prosciutto or bacon (who needs oil when you have bacon fat? ..hmmm...)

In large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, cheese, lemon juice, mustard, anchovy paste, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and pepper.  Add brussels sprouts, tossing to coat. Set aside.

In skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook prosciutto until crisp.  (I used bacon and no oil of course)  Add prosciutto with oil to sprouts mixture, tossing to combine.  Let stand for 10 minutes to wilt slightly.
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Other option::::    I chose to cut my sprouts in halves and quarters, and toss them into my pan with some slices of almost cooked bacon. Once softened a bit...I turned off heat and added the mayo mixture ...folding into the sprouts.  Served it in the nice stainless pan in which I cooked the bacon.  Next time I think I will blanch or ever so slightly cook the sprouts first... ooooohhh.... it's a yummy dish.
Creamy mashed potatoes, carrots in broth with fresh parsley....tenderloin with Apple cider ...

Of course, not necessarily one to make every time you enjoy sprouts...but, for special occasions.  Or... even as what I call "Sunday on a Monday" as I decided we were having the other day.  I didn't do much for supper on the Sunday because the day just got away from me.  So, figured, what the heck... I'll do something nice on Monday.  I'm home all day.... and with tenderloin as the main dish..it sure doesn't take long to turn out something pretty special....stay tuned for the tenderloin recipe.