My New Roots’s Roasted Parsnips with Pomegranate and Za’atar ~*Recipe ReDux*~

I am a member of a community of health and dietitian bloggers called The Recipe Redux. The Latin “redux” means to revisit or reinvent, and the aim of The Recipe Redux is to reinvent the idea of healthy eating with a taste-first approach.

Each month, members of this community receive a unique recipe challenge. This month’s challenge is: Grab your nearest cookbook and ReDux the recipe on page 201, 17, 217 – or any combination of the number ‘2017.’

December is a month of entertaining, rich foods and lots of desserts. I work with a group of dietitians at a hospital and we have been eating baked goods like crazy. It’s getting a bit out of control, but we are enjoying ourselves and still taking the stairs over the elevator when we can and eating our veggies…

…and speaking of veggies…For this month’s theme I chose the My New Roots Cookbook page 217, a roasted parsnip recipe with lots of fun and festive accouterment – pomegranate seeds, chopped mint and fresh za’atar. The recipe reminds me of an Ottolenghi recipe, utilizing fresh herbs, crunch and spice.

It’s a great option for a last minute holiday party or Christmas dinner side.

My New Roots’s Roasted Parsnips with Pomegranate and Za’atar

Serves 4 

Recipe from the My New Roots Cookbook, page 217

Ingredients:

8 medium parsnips (2lb)

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (or use 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup plus 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pinches flaky sea salt

To serve: za’atar, seeds from 1 small pomegranate (1/2 cup) and a handful of roughly chopped mint leaves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Peel the parsnips and cut them into sticks about the size of large French fries. In a medium bowl, toss the sticks with melted coconut oil, minced garlic, and the salt and pepper. Spread parsnips onto a large baking sheet and roast for 25 to 35 minutes, or until tender.

While the parsnips bake, whisk together the pomegranate molasses (or maple syrup and lemon juice), olive oil and flaky sea salt in a small bowl or ramekin.

To serve: Put roasted parsnips on a platter of large shallow bowl and drizzle with the pomegranate glaze. Sprinkle with za’atar, pomegranate seeds and chopped mint.

Approximate Nutritional Information (using SuperTracker):

Total Calories: 278; Total Fat 11 g; Saturated Fat 4 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 314 mg; Carbohydrate 45 g; Dietary Fiber 8 g; Protein: 3 g