Garlicky Mashed Cauliflower and Parsnips

This time of year is madness. Everyone is trying to get a million things done. Presents in need of wrapping seem to grow exponentially. Last-minute holiday cards need to be signed and mailed. Packages need to be shipped.  And don't even get me started on the lines at the post office. *shudder*

To make matters worse, I am constantly surrounded by sugary treats and heavy meals. I don't know about you, by my body is rebelling. Even looking at another holiday cookie makes me feel a little ill. I think it's time to get back to the basics and get some more veggies into my diet, snap!

In planning my holiday menu, I've been looking for ways to "lighten up" some traditional favorites.  There is nothing wrong with mashed potatoes, but I've recently discovered this mock version that I love even more than the original. Plus, it only involves 4 ingredients and can be made in under 15 minutes. Yes, please!

So what's in it, you ask?  Pureed cauliflower and parsnips combined with a little garlic and olive oil.  Yum! It's the perfect (lighter) side to your holiday meal and goes fabulous with my gluten-free and vegan mushroom gravy (recipe coming soon!).  Enjoy!

P.S. If you live in Seattle, don't miss FIT + FIERCE + FABULOUS on Sunday, January 13th! You'll release tension and open up your mind with yoga, get clear on how to achieve big goals in 2013 with Life and Business Coach June Moore, have a blast dancing your booty off in Zumba, AND I'll show you how to beat your sugar cravings by discovering where you've been missing sweetness in your life! The early bird registration ends soon so sign up now to save $50!  

Garlicky Mashed Cauliflower and Parsnips
Serves 4

4 cups chopped cauliflower florets
2 cups chopped peeled parsnips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly-ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and parnsips and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid, drain well, and then transfer the cauliflower, parnsips, and minced garlic to a food processor.  Add oil and a little water, 1 tablespoon at a time (as needed), and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Ginger-Roasted Parsnips

Remember when you were a kid and you mom reminded you to grab a coat before going to school?  Or when she scolded you for going outside with wet hair because you would catch a cold?  And you dismissed it?

But, then you caught that dang cold... Sure, you could have listened, but you had to learn it on your own, right?  Because then the lesson sticks.

Well, the lesson is sticking this week.  It's sticking hard. 

For months my techie partner has been bugging me to change my passwords.  Telling me to change them often.  To make them more complicated.  To not use one password for all my accounts.  Did I listen?  No, of course not. 

Then this week my Twitter account got hacked.  My followers got repeatedly spammed.  Some people realized right away that I had been hacked and alerted me while others got really frustrated because they thought I was intentionally spamming them.

Luckily I was able to change my passwords rigtht away. (And luckily I had always kept a different password for my bank!)  As of now I think the problem has been fixed.  At least, I really hope so.

After the royal pain-in-the-behind that this has been, I will never again be lax about online security.  And neither should you.  But, you don't have to take my word for it... do you? :)

I hope none of your accounts are ever hacked.  But, if they are... stay calm... and act fast.  Get those passwords updated.  Make them complicated.  Use different passwords for different online accounts.  Do some deep breathing.

Then stay the heck away from your computer and retreat to the safety of your own kitchen where life is good, pure, and happy.  A place where no spam exists (except, maybe, in a creepy can at the back of the pantry).  A place where roasted vegetables reign and you can be comforted by the smell of ginger-roasted parsnips from the oven.

Ginger-Roasted Parsnips
Slightly adapted from Food and Wine
Serves 4

2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1.5 pounds of parsnips, chopped
1.5 Tablespoons fresh minced ginger
Zest from 1 lemon, optional
Freshly-ground sea salt and pepper to taste, if desired

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Toss parsnips with coconut oil and ginger.  Lay flat on a sheet pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until tender.

Top with lemon zest, salt, and pepper before serving.

Parsnip, Leek, and Sweet Potato Soup

You know that you had a good weekend when you look around your home on Sunday night and see laundry still piled up, dirty dishes waiting in the sink, and a crowded inbox of unread emails.  This is a good sign.  It means that you had better things to do and bigger things to worry about than taking care of chores.  

In my case, I spent the weekend entranced with the first season of Lost.  As you can tell, I definitely had bigger things to worry about than laundry.  I mean, what the heck is happening on this crazy island?  And how did I not know that this show existed until two days ago?!  

Sure I might have had better things to do than laundry, but I still managed to make to the farmers market and survive my second hot yoga class (more on that subject another time).  I fell in love with some beautiful parsnips and leeks at the market and promptly came home and pureed up this soup for Sunday brunch.  My secret to pureed soups is that I always add some beans in for extra protein.  This soup was perfect served alongside a hearty salad with some green onions, sea salt, and crushed peppercorns for a garnish.  I even discovered that a few extra green onions in a small vase make the perfect colorful table accent.

How was your weekend?

Parsnip, Leek, and Sweet Potato Soup

Serves 2 - 4

1 Tbs olive oil

2 leeks, ends removed and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1.5 cups Great Northern beans (or any white beans)

2 medium-large parsnips, chopped

1 medium sweet potato, chopped

6 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried sage

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

green onions for garnish

Add oil to a large pot over medium heat.  Sauté leeks for three minutes.  Add garlic and sauté for an additional minute.  Add the beans, parsnips, sweet potato, broth, thyme, sage, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, about 30 minutes until vegetables are soft.  

Remove the bay leaf. Blend the soup by using an immersion blender or transfering it to a regular blender. (If using a regular blender, be very careful as the steam can sometimes cause the lid to blow off.  I recommend allowing the soup to cool for a few minutes, then blending small batches on medium speed while holding the lid down with a large pot holder or towel in my hand).  Serve hot, with salt and pepper to taste, and green onions for garnish.