Roasted Turnips - A Lower Calorie Alternative To Potatoes

An easy and delicious way to prepare turnips!

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Turnips
Here's a simple way to prepare turnips if you are avoiding French fries and watching your weight.

I bought turnips this week to make soup. I've been a bit under the weather with allergies so I've been living on soup. But since the rain cleared the pollen out of the air and I needed something different to eat, I thought I'd try doing something else with the turnips. So I fixed them like I would a roasted potato and was delighted at how absolutely delicious they were. The best news is that they are lower calories and more nutritionally dense than potatoes. 

Ounce per ounce, turnips are 1/3 the calories of potatoes yet they have 4 times the omega-3 and 2 1/2 times the calcium. But they are higher in natural sugars which is why they caramelize so nicely when roasted.

Turnips are virtually fat free and are a good source of vitamin B6, folate, potassium, calcium and copper and an excellent source of dietary fiber, vitamin C and manganese. 

A medium turnip has 34 calories
0.1 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol
7.8 g carbohydrates, 4.6 g sugar
2.2 g dietary fiber
1.1 g protein
43 % DV vitamin C
5% DV vitamin B6 and folate
8% DV manganese
7% DB potassium
5% DV copper
4% DV calcium

Here's a quick and easy way to prepare them.

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Roasted Turnips
Vegan, Gluten and Dairy Free
[makes 4 servings]

Ingredients
6 medium turnips
1 to 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary 

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Peel the turnips and cut each one vertically into 8 to 10 slices.

Place them in a bowl with enough of the olive oil to coat. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss until well combined.

Place the coated turnip slices on a cookie sheet lined with a silicon mat or a parchment sheet. Spread them out on the sheet.

Roast for 30 to 40 minutes until they are cooked and brown on the edges. Remove from the oven and serve.

Meyer Lemon Limoncello Or Lemon Extract

Meyer lemons make a delicious liquor and extract.

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Meyer Lemons - Delicious and Prolific

If you live in California, chances are you have a lemon tree, or a neighbor that has one. And if it’s a prolific Meyer Lemon, right now you are probably wondering what to do with all that beautiful fruit. Especially if you have just picked the entire tree before the freezing weather we've been having in Sonoma county. One easy way to use the lemons is to make this delicious Meyer lemon liqueur, popular in Southern Italy where my family is from. You can also use this recipe, before you add the simple syrup, as a lemon extract. A little extract and liquor goes a long way, so here’s a recipe for a small batch. Feel free to double it and bottle the extra for gifts. 

When I make this recipe, I use a combination of 89% biodynamic grape alcohol, that I normally use to make my medicinal tinctures, together with Kettle One vodka. But in the recipe below, I just list Everclear and Vodka. If you don't have access to a high percentage alcohol like Everclear or tincture alcohol, you can just use all vodka. 

Beautiful Meyer lemons from our tree in Sebastopol

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Meyer Lemon Limoncello

[makes six cups]

Requirements

Potato peeler

2 1-quart jars with lids

Nylon nut bag or fine sieve

Coffee filter and funnel (optional)

Ingredients

10 organic Meyer lemons

1½ cups Everclear

1½ cups Vodka

2 cups white sugar

2 cups filtered or distilled water

Directions

Wash the lemons thoroughly and dry completely. Remove the lemon rinds with a potato peeler, avoiding the white pith. Place the peelings into a 1-quart jar and cover with Everclear and vodka. Cover tightly with a lid, place in a cool and dark cabinet, and let sit for a month. Stir the mixture once a week. 

After a month, strain the mixture through a nylon nut bag or fine sieve, into a large pitcher. Divide the strained alcohol evenly into two, 1-quart jars. (If you want to use some of it for lemon extract, pour a small amount of it in a jar and save.)

Make simple syrup. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the sugar has completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Allow the syrup to cool completely, to room temperature, before proceeding with the recipe.

Divide the syrup evenly between the two jars filled with alcohol. Cover the jars tightly and place in a cool and dark cabinet for two to four weeks to allow the ingredients to marry.

After the month, strain the liquor one more time. For a really pure solution, use a coffee filter instead of the nylon nut bag. It's a more tedious process but if you want a cleaner product, you can do it.

Using a coffee filter for the final straining produces a cleaner product but it's optional.

Pour into pretty bottles, seal tightly, and enjoy. Store in the freezer as it’s best when served cold.

Serve frozen limoncello in small shot glasses or use to make Limoncello Cocktails

In case you are wondering what to do with 10 peeled lemons, you can juice them, pour the juice into an ice cube tray, and freeze. Once frozen, remove the lemon cubes, place them in a freezer bag, and freeze. Use a cube whenever you need fresh lemon juice.