The meal that introduced and turned a dinner guest to Paleo!
For our Easter dinner Stacy was looking for root vegetables to roast. While looking for parsnips she found some interesting (reasonably priced) new items she brought home for me to experiment with. She brought home golden beets and celeriac, or celery root. She loves beets and was thinking they’d make a gorgeous Spring looking dish with the sweet potatoes we had at home. But the celeriac… we were both starting from scratch.
It’s probably one of the most interesting vegetables out there as it looks like someone tended a bonsai tree for fifty years only to rip it out of the ground and put it in the supermarket. So I’m staring at this thing, completely unsure of how to handle it when a tickle in the back of my head tells me it would make for some interesting “mashed potatoes.” I say interesting because it’s incredibly fragrant, flavorful and the texture is rich, it made for a nice gritty puree.
Pureed Celeriac
3 Ingredient, 3 Step Celery Root Puree
- 3 celeriac roots
- salt and (preferably white) pepper
- 1 C Apple Cider
- First, peel the root and cube it; the more even the size the better
- ♥ Put in a water bath and roast in the oven for 1 hour at 350 degrees
- ♥ Drain water and place soft roasted celery root pieces in the blender with salt and pepper and cider and puree until smooth
I wanted a true flavor of the root since it was my first time. The taste is that of a peppery, bright celery and it’s quite tasty. Next time I make shepherd’s pie, this would make a most excellent potato replacement.
Now… the beets.
Sunshine Veggies
5 Ingredient, 4 Step Roast Golden Beets and Sweet Potatoes
- 6 golden beets, peeled and diced
- 6 medium sweet potatoes (4 large), peeled and diced
- 1 Onion, diced
- 6 Tbsp fat of choice (we used olive oil)
- salt and pepper
- Peel and dice the vegetables into the same size
- ♥ Spread loosely on pans, do not pack too closely or they will steam and not roast
- ♥ Drizzle oil evenly, sprinkle salt & pepper and toss with hands evenly
- Roast in preheated oven at 350 for 30 minutes, or until brown and soft (will depend on size you dice)
They were bright, cheerful and wonderfully delicious. One of our dinner guests had previously never liked beets and loved the dish, asking for the recipe. We hope you like it’s cheerfulness too!
Note: the heart symbol (♥) indicates step with which your little handed sous chef(s) is able to offer assistance.
