Crispy Carrots
Carrots come in variety of colors ranging from white, yellow, red and yes, sometimes purple. These interesting roots can be used innovatively in your menu to make it more interesting. Small baby carrots will make an interesting and healthy snack when you are hungry in-between meals. They can be used get novelty in your food like in salads, soups, as garnish, in cakes, breads, muffins. Carrot juice can also make wonderfully refreshing and healthy drink on a hot summer day. You can use your imagination to add colour and lots of nutrition to your palate.
Tangy turnips and rutabagas
We certainly have heard of turnip greens being used in the delectable food cooked in south, rutabagas are cooked with confidence in Finnish and Swedish homes. But the root of turnips is sadly ignored in most American kitchens. You can either add turnips or rutabagas to mashed potatoes to make them more tasty and nutritious. Lovely and tasty desserts can be made with rutabagas and turnips by mixing them cleverly with apples or adding them to custard. Rutabagas will add wonderful flavor to breads or spice cakes. Turnips and rutabagas when pureed will thicken the curry and will taste wonderful with a meat dish.
Juicy Jicama
Jicama, like the carrot is wonderfully juicy with a crisp bite. Jicama can be easily used to add a crisp texture to a salad by either grating, cubing or making juliennes and serving it as a cold dish. Though many a times this tangy, slightly sweet and starchy root vegetable is often used only in salads it can be innovatively added to a potato salad or to a stir-fry dish. A mouth watering dish can be made in a jiffy by tossing jalapeno with vinegar and cilantro and then serving grilled fish over a layered bed of jicama. Just irresistible!
Other Healthy roots
The next time you visit your favorite grocery store; don’t forget to pick up some beets, parsnips and radishes. These wonderfully nutritive roots are often forgotten in favor of other more popular fresh fruits and vegetables. These versatile and healthy vegetables will make your palate so colorful and nutritious that you will gladly accept in your daily menu. So use your imagination and bring colour and nutrition to your diet. If you dare to do so, you will never have a dull day in your kitchen and you will look forward to having those “veggies” on your table everyday.
