Cashew Butter Parsnip Fries

Still dreaming of foods crusted in seeds, I began looking for a french fry-like recipe that was healthy. I was leaning toward avocado french fries when I found a recipe for parsnip fries at Oh She Glows and I thought to myself … why the hell not. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a parsnip so I had no idea what to expect. I kept my expectations low because I’m not altogether a huge vegetable lover. I like a lot of vegetables. I love sweet potatoes. But I don’t really crave vegetables on a regular basis. I basically eat them because I know I should. Until now. This recipe may have made me a (vegetable) believer.

ingredients.

3 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into thin fry-like strips
3 T. nut butter (I used cashew butter)
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp. kosher salt, or to taste

directions.

Preheat oven to 400F. Peel and cut parsnips into fry-like strips. You can easily do this if you have a mandolin with a julienne attachment. Dump into a gallon-sized Ziploc baggy.
In a small bowl, mix together the nut butter, olive oil, and salt. Drizzle into the baggy filled with the parsnips. Shake the bag and rub the mixture into the fries. (You can use these immediately or store in the fridge for another day. I cooked mine about three days later.)
Spread onto baking pan and cook for 25 to 50 minutes or until crisp. The length of time will depend on how thin you cut your fries. Mine were too well-done after 30 minutes.

Parsnips look like giant white carrots. This is what the cashier at Winco said to me when she held up the vegetable and ask me to identify it for her. She also asked me what one does with parsnips and, aside from putting them in some veggie broth once, I actually have no idea. I told her I was buying them to make healthy French fries.

I was annoyed when I took these out of the oven because I burnt what seemed like a good third or half of the batch. Whoops.

I bit into these fries and my first thought was: meh. Despite the fact that my first thought was “meh,” I continued to eat a few more and suddenly they were the best healthy fries I had ever had and I wanted to eat the whole pan. (Good thing half the fries were burnt.) The nut butter coating gives the effect of beer battered fries. Or double breaded fries. Just completely superb. I don’t know what parsnips taste like so I don’t know if the amazing flavor came from the parsnip or the cashew butter but regardless … these were some damn good fries.