foodie fridays: parmesan parsnip fries

 

 

Say that ten times.

 

Talk about a tongue-twister.

 

In my opinion, I think tongue-twisters are hysterical. Why, you ask? What is not funny about intelligent people trying to enunciate words effectively, but who end up sounding like Sylvester the cat? Funny, right?

Last year when I took a voice-over class at the Denver Performing Art Center, tongue-twisters were a part of our warms-ups. My personal favorite was saying – “Unique, New York” over and over again. I distinctly remember a gentleman that dressed like a college professor, only he wasn’t a “professor”. When the teacher would ask the group to stand and begin warm ups, he would try to out-enunciate the class. Since this was my first voice-over class, I thought I was doing it wrong because I was so quiet. After a minute of warm-up, a classmate standing next to me, turned and asked, “What’s with the professor?” I giggled, and knew immediately that I was not on the douche-bag-enunciation-path.

Okay, back to the fries.

 

Thankfully, these the parsnip fries aren’t a tongue twister to eat.

 

Parsnips are straight and to the point. Really, what root vegetable isn’t? Did you know that parsnips are related to the carrot family? Yep. Parsnips obviously pale in color, but in fact, have a sweeter taste much like honey when baked. Also, a little fun fact about parsnips – Romans considered parsnips an aphrodisiac, which is totally why I wrote this post! Just kidding.

Parsnips are loaded with vitamins and minerals, and rich with potassium. And besides being healthy for you in many ways (wink, wink), they are easy to prep. Just peel like a carrot, chop it up, put it on a baking sheet, and bake.

 

Easy peasy.

 

So next time you’re in the kitchen reading a tongue-twister of a recipe, make these parsnip fries. Trust me, your tongue won’t regret it.

 

Serves 2 to 3

 

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

 

5 large parsnips

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chives, chopped

2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

½ cup parmesan, grated (more if needed)

 

Preheat oven to 400°F. Peel parsnips and cut them into french-fry sized sticks. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, toss, and place back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes until golden on the edges with crispy ends and a tender center. Place parsnip fries in a bowl, toss with parmesan, parsley and chives. Serve immediately.

 

Conclusion: Elevate your snacking experience with Parmesan parsnip fries, where the irresistible combination of Parmesan cheese and tender parsnips creates a culinary delight.