A Walk on the Wild Side--Parsnip Mashers

Wow, can you say slacker? I have not posted a blog entry in over a month! YIKES! Well, in all honesty, life has been a little crazy with volunteer fund-raising, new job, new toddler school schedule and a failed trip up North (damn you Irene). Nevertheless I am back in the cooking game, our schedule has mellowed out a bit, and we are getting back on track with healthy home-cooked meals.

This week's line up:
Tuesday: Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam
Wednesday: Red onion crusted chicken with parsnip mashers* and sauteed spinach
Thursday: Tamale pie
Friday: Roasted turkey breast and challah
Saturday: Cilantro-lime chicken and home-made guacamole
Sunday: Mah Jong with the girls, boys must fend for themselves!

Parsnip mashers are a new addition to our side rotation. I was inspired by Tyler Florence's Parsnip Puree recipe, but almost died at the though of using 2 cups of heavy cream and 1/2 a stick of butter in any of my cooking (yummy, yet heart-stopping and butt-fattening). I substituted skim milk and added a potato to create a creamy yet lower-in-fat texture on the dish.

Parsnip Mashers
Serves 6
111 calories per serving, 2 grams fat
PointsPlus value per serving: 3

Ingredients
1 pound parsnips, peeled and sliced
1 potato, peeled and cubed
1 tsp salt
1 cup skim milk
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cloves sliced garlic
1 Tbs butter
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

-Put parsnips and potato cubes in pot and bring to a simmer. Cook until tender, approximately 12-15 minutes.

-In a medium saucepan place the milk, thyme sprigs and sliced garlic over low heat and bring to a simmer.
-Remove milk from heat and discard garlic and thyme.
-Drain parsnips and potatoes.
-Place parsnips and potatoes in a food processor with butter, salt, pepper and half of the milk mixture. Process until very smooth.
-Continue to add milk until you have desired consistency.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.