No, really. Don’t click away.
I’m just trying to get everyone ready for the fun we have in store next week by focusing on a much-maligned veggie. You’ll lean why soon enough.
I’m taking a stay-cation this week, which gives me both more time to write and to spend in the kitchen. The net result of all this free time? I’m finally rescuing some of the aging root veggies from my crisper drawer.
I’m not sure exactly when I decided to buy three turnips. It was at least a month ago, if not longer. While at Safeway, I must have had the idea of making turnip “fries.”
It’s not a new idea, and I certainly can’t take credit. I make mine with a recipe from the “Atkins New Diet Revolution” book — or what I remember of the recipe, since I haven’t cracked that book open since 2005.
But turnips, like other veggies, have 0 Weight Watchers PointsPlus, so I apparently thought it’d be a good idea to revive the fries.
Turnips actually lend themselves to pretty good “fries.” All you have to do is peel them, cut ‘em into sticks, drizzle them with olive oil, sprinkle them with salt, pepper and chili powder and toss to coat. Bake for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees F, stirring halfway through.
Voila!
Turnip fries. I served them with a turkey burger and a dipping sauce of Greek yogurt mixed with ranch dressing mix. (The original Atkins recipe just said to dip ‘em in ranch dressing, which of course now has too many Points …)
If you haven’t tried turnip fries, you really should. They’re a great way to get a fry-like experience without all the calories/fat … and to sneak in an extra serving of veggies.
Other veggies lend themselves to decent fries, too. I love butternut squash fries, and I’ve been known to make a mean zucchini fry. (Link goes to the Zesty Zucchini Fries recipe on my weight-loss blog. If you don’t want to use ground nuts in the coating, use bread crumbs … or ground up Fiber One cereal.)
Have you ever made fries out of something other than potato?
