I got a cookbook for Christmas called The Garden-Fresh Vegetable Cookbook, which I requested because it divides up recipes according to the growing season, and then groups recipes together with the same vegetable as the main ingredient. For instance, "Early to Mid-Summer" includes recipes for beets, broccoli, cucumbers, snap beans, Swiss chard, zucchini, and summer squash. I'd heard of rutabagas before, but I would have lost a game show round if I'd been asked to identify it from a picture. This recipe was sweet AND spicy, an unexpected combination.
Roasted Spiced Rutabaga Sticks
"The treatment here is similar to what I do with sweet potatoes - slick matchsticks of rutabaga with a spiced oil, then roast in a hot oven. The result is a spicy, sweet vegetable treat. If you want to multiply the recipe, use two baking sheets, rotate them every ten minutes or so and increase the roasting time as needed."
-author Andrea Chesman
Serves 2-4
--2 T canola oil
--1 tsp ground cinnamon
--1 tsp ground cumin
--1 tsp salt, or more to taste [I used non-iodized sea salt]
--1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground chipotle chile (or substitute another ground chile) [I learned my lesson with chipotle in the past; I used 1/4!]
--1 large or 2 medium rutabagas, peeled and cut into matchsticks [I like how that casually says to "cut into matchsticks" - that is 95% of the labor for this recipe. And I wouldn't say they looked like matchsticks when I was done. I don't have a clue what a medium vs. large rutabaga looks like; I just bought 2 and used both.]
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a large sheet pan (preferred) or shallow roasting pan with oil.
2. Combine the oil, cinnamon, cumin, salt, and ground chipotle in a large bowl. Add the rutabaga and toss to coat. Transfer to the prepared pan and arrange in a single layer. [The amount of matchsticks I had was not enough for 1 baking sheet in a single layer. I used 2 baking sheets.]
3. Roast for about 25 minutes, until tender and lightly browned, stirring or shaking the pan occasionally. Serve hot.
[The book doesn't provide nutritional facts, but other than the oil, this is a ridiculously healthy and simple recipe.]
2 comments:
You didn't say how they turned out or what they tasted like...
I did say that it was "sweet and spicy, an unexpected combination." They did turn out "tender," as the recipe said. I had to think of all the fries I've ever had to compare texture and doneness. Turns out I can't really remember much about restaurant fries. The rutabaga sticks were definitely done, but softer on the outside than, say, Chik Fil A waffle fries; so, not so much crunchiness. But they were very good, and not bad on being reheated as leftovers, either.
Post a Comment