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!

Roasted Parsnips with Mint

Going to the grocery store, or the farmer's market, is dangerous for me.  More often than not, I come home with a completely and utterly random ingredient that I then have to figure out how to cook.  In the past I have purchased squash blossoms, lovely purple cauliflower, beets, rhubarb and sugar snap peas this way.  This week my random purchase was parsnips.  Then I was flipping though The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern: Knockout Dishes with Down-Home Flavor last night and stumbled upon their recipe for Roasted Parsnips with Mint.

I have to post this with the caveat that I have never cooked parsnip before.  Actually, I don't think I have ever eaten parsnip before - except in purees.  I feel like parsnip and sunchoke purees are now the de rigeur things to serve with your saddle of lamb or any other hunk of rich meat.  And in that preparation I really like parsnip.  Same goes with parsnip soup.  In this preparation?  To be honest, I'm not so sure.  Somehow the parsnips became a little oilier than I liked and the flavor of the mint and the parsnip didn't quite seem to gel.  I also thought that the parsnips would get a little sweeter as I roasted them.  Granted, we didn't get quite as much caramelization as I would like (even though we roasted the parsnips 7 minutes longer than the recipe dictated).  So I have modified the recipe in my post to reflect how I wish I had prepared the parsnips this time.

If anyone else has any luck with the recipe, or any suggestions on how to cook parsnips in the future, please let me know!  I am always on the hunt for new recipes, or new tips!  Perhaps next time I will try a parsnip soup...

Recipe after the jump!