Zizi's Adventures - Real Food, Real Stories

Mashed Parsnip Potatoes With Thyme

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When I posted the glazed walnut lentil roast I promised to share more vegetarian recipe ideas for Christmas. Last year I cooked/baked more side dishes than ever before to go with the cranberry and pistachio nut roast. It was a new way for me to serve many delicious, scrumptious new tastes. We loved it so much. It’s going to be a tradition in our household!

This year I’m planning to make this mashed parsnip potatoes, baked carrots in a bag, cranberry chutney, roasted brussel sprouts with orange juice and vegan stuffing. Make sensational sides that will complete your Christmas meal, no matter where or what you’re having.

Parsnip is a root vegetable related to the carrot and parsley root but it has a sweeter taste, especially when cooked. Parsnip is rich in potassium and it is a good source of dietary fiber. It is wonderful in soups and stews as well as roasted or mashed like potatoes.

If you want to make this vegan use soy sour cream and Earth Balance spread (instead of sour cream and butter) to make mash creamier.

Mashed Parsnip Potatoes With Thyme

Ingredients (serves 2-3)

– 200 g parsnips, peeled, diced
– 330 g potatoes, peeled, diced
– 100 ml sour cream
– 20 g butter
– 2-3 sprigs of thyme
– salt, pepper

Method

In a large sauce pan cover potatoes and parsnips with water. Bring to boil and simmer until vegetables are tender, 25-30 minutes. Drain potatoes and parsnips. Mash with a potato masher, mixer or immersion blender. Add sour cream and butter to thin a bit and make mash creamier. Season with salt, pepper and thyme.

Serve it warm with a nut roast.

Glazed Walnut Green Lentil Loaf

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Before Christmas I’m trying to share more vegetarian Christmas meals recipes. Whether you are having a vegetarian (vegan) Christmas or you need a veggie recipe to serve a guest, these recipe ideas might be helpful for you. These meals are so delicious so believe it or not meat-eaters will be jealous!

I think a vegetarian Christmas dinner’s centerpiece should be a nut roast, like last year’s cranberry and pistachio nut one or Mrs. Myrtleberry’s walnut roast with lots of yum side dishes. Plan the menu in time, make preparations, buy good quality ingredients and the success will be guaranteed at the Christmas dinner table.

This nut roast is rich in lentils (high in protein, vitamin B1 and minerals), walnuts, hazelnuts, cashew so it’s not only delicious it is a nutritious, healthy meal.

Glazed Walnut Green Lentil Loaf
(Recipe inspiration: Oh She Glows)

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

For the loaf
– 190 g (1 cup) green lentils
– 100 g (1 cup) walnuts
– 60 g (1/2 cup) hazelnuts and cashew nuts
– 3 ground flax seeds + 6 tablespoons water
– 2 big onions, chopped
– 3 cloves garlic, chopped
– 120 g (1 cup) carrot, chopped
– 1 medium apple, peeled and grated
– 40 g (1/2 cup) oat flour
– 60 g (3/4 cup) whole wheat breadcrumbs
– 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
– 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
– 1 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
– 1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
– salt, pepper

For the balsamic glaze
– 60 ml (1/4 cup) ketchup
– 1 tablespoon maple syrup
– 2 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce
– 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Method

Place lentils into a pan with 750 ml (3 cups) of water, season with salt, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for at least 40-50 minutes (add more water if needed) until lentils are cooked. Set aside.

In a small bowl mix ground flax with water and set aside.

In a dry non-stick pan toast walnuts, hazelnuts and cashew for 6-8 minutes and set aside.

Use a kitchen blender to grind toasted walnuts, hazelnuts and cashew. Place the grinded nuts into a large mixing bowl. Using the kitchen blender chop onion, garlic, pasley and carrots, then add to the grinded nuts. Add grated apple, rosemary, thyme, chili flakes, oat flour and breadcrumbs. Mix all ingredients together. Using the blender again, purée the cooked green lentils until smooth (or mash lentils with a spoon). Add lentils also to the mixture and adjust seasonings to taste.

Preheat the oven to 180C (356F). Meanwhile in a small bowl mix together the glaze’s ingredients.

Grease a 23 cm (9 inch or a bit longer) long loaf pan with olive oil and spoon the 2/3 of the glaze into the loaf pan and spread evenly (reserve the rest for serving). Pile the walnut green lentils mixture in the tin and pack it down with the back of a spoon.

Bake at 180C (356F) for 50-60 minutes until golden brown. Cool in the tin for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Serve with the remaining glaze on top.

Mákos Guba, The Traditional Hungarian Christmas Dessert

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This dessert brings back so many memories from my childhood. In Hungary the Christmas tree is decorated on the Holy Night (December 24) in immediate families. For us, Christmas is a private, family holiday and we don’t go to parties. Most families decorate the tree together, but some families keep the tradition that the tree should be a surprise for children, who believe it is brought by angels.

When I was a child I entered the room with my brother only when the small tree bells rang. Everything was magical: the smell of the Christmas tree, lit candles and sparklers on the tree. Gifts were laid around the tree with small labels saying who they were for. We usually sang one or two Christmas songs, then opened the gifts and spent the night together.

The menu for the Holy Night in Hungary is very traditional. We usually have fish soup made from carp, followed by fried carp with french fries or potato salad. As a dessert we eat beigli, a special pastry roll filled with poppy seed or walnut.

Also a Christmas classic, mákos guba is a dessert made with poppy seeds and honey. Poppy seed is a popular ingredient all over Central-Eastern Europe and there are many dessert recipes in the Hungarian cuisine that call for it.

Mákos guba is baked in the belief that the poppy seeds bring good luck and lots of money in the new year. A quick way to make it is using a day-old, dry kifli, a crescent-shaped pastry, but you can use any type of roll or bread.

I make it the traditional way from yeasted dough as I learnt from my grandmother years ago. She was the one who was responsible for mákos guba to make it for the whole family. My dear granny passed away only two months ago and we miss her so much. This Christmas my mom and I are responsible for making this sweet, traditional dessert that reminds us how life precious and we have to respect what we have.

To get my recipe visit The Travel Belles’ website here.