Honey-Glazed Parsnips

The first thing that I said to Alex when I took a bite of these parsnips was that this recipe would be the perfect way to sneak parsnips into your child's diet.  Look at me, I'm not even a mom and I'm already planning out various ways to sneak things past (or into) my kids.  Braising the parsnips in fresh orange juice, lime juice, honey and lime makes them sweet and smushy.  And don't most kids love sweet and smushy?  I'm pretty sure I did.  There is no parsnip flavor to throw your kids off - if they like sweet citrus, they should like this dish.  The second thing that I said to Alex was that I wish we had broiled or roasted the parsnip spears for a few seconds to just crisp up the glaze on the exterior for a little texture.  While this dish would probably be ideal for a child, as an adult, I find the parnsips to be a little overwhelmingly sweet and one-note.  Perhaps if we had used the Thai chili instead of a jalapeno the heat would have come through a little more, but that would probably make it a lot less kid-friendly.  Alex and I agreed that these parsnips are best served in moderation - a few spears on a plate alongside a salad and an entree.  Anymore than that (like we had on this plate) is just too much.

Recipe after the jump!


Honey-Glazed Parsnips
Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes
By Jean-Georges Vongerichten


INGREDIENTS:
1 lbs parsnips, trimed, peeled, and cut into 5x1-inch batons
2 cups fresh orange juice
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
3 tbsp honey
10 tbsp unsalted butter
grated zest of 2 limes
1/2 fresh red Thai chili, thinly sliced (we didn't have any Thai chilis, so we had to use a jalapeno)
kosher salt


In a large saute pan, combine the parsnips, orange juice, 1 cup water, the lime juice, honey, butter, lime zest and chili.  Season with salt, cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes (covered).  Uncover and simmer, gently stirring occasionally, until the parsnips are very tender and glazed, about 15 minutes longer.