Why are root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, parsnips, turnips, celeriac, rutabaga etc. such a powerful source of nutrients? Because they are grown into the ground, far away from any natural light, and for this reason they store inside themselves the vitamins and minerals necessary to their growth. Furthermore the root vegetables naturally carry few calories and many fibres. For all those reasons, the root vegetables has the particularity of being very healthy. On top of that, they belong to the category of vegetables that “warm” the body, so they are appear in many winter recipes, such as roasted root vegetables.
Depending on how you cook them, root vegetables can be considered as boring and tasteless, especially if they are boiled or steamed. It is totally different if they are simmered in a meat stew such as the French Pot-au-feu, which enable them to catch the flavour of the sauce.
I found another original and easy way to cook them, cut into a chip shape and baked slowly in the oven with olive oil and herbs, the roasted root vegetables. To turn them into a delicious side dish, I mix them with a little bit of mascarpone and fresh herbs before serving, and that’s it! Thanks to this recipe, I cook more root vegetables, and not just potatoes and carrots as I used to do.
The mascarpone cheese is about to become one of my favourite, either to make tiramisu, a creamy tomato sauce or either as a butter substitute to soften the risotto or creamy soups.
I like it because:
- It is a healthy, original and simple recipe.
- I like to eat different types of vegetables than the ones we are used to.
Tricks:
- Mix as many types of vegetables as you can, to make it more fun at mealtimes.
- You can present the mascarpone separately and use the baked vegetables as “chips” for the “dips”.
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE:
- 3,3 oz. (1.5kg) root vegetables: carrots, potatoes, parsnips, turnips, celeriacs, rutabagas etc.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 sprigs of dried herbs, rosemary or thyme
- Seasoning: salt, pepper, ground coriander seeds …
- 4 stems of fresh basil, parsley or tarragon
- 1 tablespoon of mascarpone cheese per person
Recipe of the roasted root vegetables with mascarpone
- Preheat oven to 370ºF (190°C).
- Peel and cut the root vegetables into large-size chips, and place them in a large oven-proof dish or directly on the tray.
- Pour the olive oil, the dry herbs and the seasoning over and mix well with your hands or a spoon.
- Bake the vegetables for one hour, mixing them half of the time.
- Put the vegetables in a large dish and stir in mascarpone as well as the fresh herbs. Mix all ingredients well before serving.
Bon appétit!
