When all else fails, roast some vegetables. I’m only halfway joking. Since this past week has been so busy with work, not to mention preparation for holidays and visitors, the thought of dirtying up a bunch of pans to make myself dinner is the last thing I want to do. At least it’s easy to throw some vegetables in the oven, ignore them for a while, and come back to something pretty darn tasty.
As I’m staring at this photo of those selfsame vegetables, though, it seems to me that the parsnips look a little like bananas due to the color they acquired after being roasted. I now kind of want to make something that involves roasted sweet potatoes, bananas, with maybe some cream and crunchy demerara sugar. I can’t seem to do anything without thinking of sweets, can I? This dish is decidedly healthy, though, and although the title is a bit long-winded, it’s a fine thing to put together when you’re short on patience (who, me? never!). It also doubles as a dish that’s as worthy of serving to guests as it is for lazy cooking nights. The bright flavor of orange pairs so well with rosemary, and also highlights the subtle sweetness of the parsnips. Toasted hazelnuts on top add a lovely crunch for some textural interest. For any last-minute planners, this would even make a nice addition to a holiday spread; just double the quantities for a large group. As is, the recipe will feed 3 to 4 people as a side dish.
Orange and Rosemary-Roasted Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes
1 lb parsnips, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 lb sweet potatoes (aka yams, e.g. jewel yams), peeled and chopped into cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
grated zest of 1 small orange
1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup chopped blanched hazelnuts
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450ºF.
Spread chopped hazelnuts in a pan and toast for 5 minutes or until fragrant and a shade darker in color. Set aside.
Toss parsnips, yams, orange juice, orange zest, olive oil, rosemary, salt, and peppper together in a bowl, then spoon into a small baking dish. Dot butter pieces evenly over vegetable mixture. Cover loosely with foil and roast for 10-15 minutes minutes or until vegetables are slightly tender. Remove foil and roast until completely tender, about 15 minutes more. Remove from oven and sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts.