Black Olive and Parsnip Salad

Simple dish with whole black olives (destoned), spiralised parsnip, and a crunchy lettuce salad in a spoonful of mayonnaise. If you don't have a spiraliser, grating the parsnip would do just as well.
 

Turkey and Parsnip Stew, with Oven-roasted Chips

Leftover Turkey from a roasted leg joint, stewed in some chicken stock along with diced parsnip and carrot. Cooked for around two hours. The Rosemary and the paprika were added towards the end of the process.

Served with roasted potato chips in olive oil. The potato chips were parboiled for fifteen minutes first. Cook until a little browned. Turn once.
 

Beef Meatloaf and Parsnip Chips

Most meatloafs are made with pork, but it is possible to use ground beef as the basis of a meatloaf. Made with Khorasan wheat, Olive oil, Beef stock, Onion and herbs of your choice. Mixed in a glass bowl until it has the right texture for a meatloaf. Decanted into a flat roasting tray. 

Cooked in the oven for fifty minutes at 180 deg C on the middle shelf of the oven.

The parsnips were dressed in olive oil and then roasted for about twenty five minutes at the same temperature (check progress by eye!).

Minced Beef and Leek, with Grilled Parsnip Chips

The beef was browned for about seventy minutes before water and vegetable stock were added. Plus diced leek. Cooked under glass for another two hours until really tender. 

Half a large parsnip was diced, and then divided into chips. Grilled until browned (watch by eye!), for about twenty-five minutes, after being drizzled in sunflower oil and turned with a wooden spoon to ensure an even coverage. A simple dish, but delicious! 

 

Venison Stew, with Root Vegetables

A simple winter stew made with diced deer meat and an assortment of root vegetables (parsnip, carrot, turnip & onion for the stew itself, and served with semi-skinned potatoes). The venison was cooked for at least half an hour until most of the moisture in the meat had evaporated, and browned in the sunflower oil. 

Then decanted into a pot of boiling salted water, and simmered under glass for an hour. 

After that, I added the diced root vegetables to the pot, and cooked them for another forty-five minutes, after which I mashed the vegetables (the venison will survive this!). Simmered again for another quarter hour or so, before serving. 

No added herbs, stock or spices, though rosemary would be an appropriate choice. Cornflower or Bisto could be used if you prefer a thicker gravy. Delicious! Sourced via Sainsbury's. 

 

Unsmoked Gammon Soup, with Carrot, Parsnip, Onion and Turnip

#

This soup began as a vegetable dish, made with a small white onion, one peeled parsnip, two medium carrots, and half a turnip (peeled). It was complete with some vegetable stock, and half a teaspoonful of white (or black) pepper. Simmered under glass for an hour, and then mashed before serving. 

I then added diced unsmoked gammon from a joint I'd roasted the day before. I also added the juices from the roast (done in a casserole dish). Again, simmered for an hour under glass before serving. I added black pepper as a final garnish. One of the most delicious soups I have made. 

 

Smoked Haddock with Vegetables in a Cheese Sauce

A large fillet of haddock, smoked but undyed, poached in water in a flat lidded pan for twenty minutes. Starting at a high heat, and then reduced to the lowest heat when the water began to boil.

In another pan, the diced vegetables (parsnip, potato, carrot, spring onion) were boiled for twenty-five minutes.

While the vegetables were cooking, I prepared the cheese sauce.

I mixed whole milk (around 150 mls) and a dessert spoonful of cornmeal flour in a jug, plus some vegetable stock, and decanted the mixture (with a little butter) into a third pot, and stirred it until it began to thicken on the hob. I added the vegetables, and around 100g of cheddar cheese (thin slices), and stirred until the cheese had entirely melted.

Dress with freshly ground black pepper, and serve!

Spicy Shepherd's Pie

Preparing the pie: made with ground lamb, diced onion, diced carrot, four red and green chillies, a clove of garlic, green pepper, diced baby plum tomatoes, chopped parsnip and chopped carrot, mashed potato and lamb stock. 

The mashed potato was mixed with a small knob of butter, and about 50g of Camembert cheese (cheddar cheese can be used instead, or you can skip the cheese component altogether). Seasoned with the herbs rosemary and thyme. 

Add the chopped parsnip and carrot to the bottom of the pie dish. Cover with the layer of spicy lamb. Add the potato on top, and texture with a fork. 

The pie was baked in the oven at a low heat (about 150 deg C for an hour and a half (watch carefully).. 

Served in this case with baked beans, with pepper and some dried basil.

Preparing the ground lamb: browned in a saute pan in its own fat at a high heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning. The onion, chilli, green pepper and diced  baby plum tomatoes were added. The heat was turned down to medium, and the mix stir-fried for fifteen minutes.

After that, boiling water was added to the saute pan. The pot was covered, and allowed to simmer for at least an hour and a half at a low heat, to ensure the lamb was tender.

Add a little turmeric and some oregano after about half an hour, and stir through. 

Silverside Beef with Curly Kale

 The gravy was made with parsnips, turnip, celery and onion, all diced, and cooked in boiling water for about half an hour, after which the ingredients were mashed. They continued to cook for a further half an hour. Then I added a pinch of paprika, a pinch of both Rosemary and Thyme, and some beef stock.

I blended the whole mixture with a hand electric mixer. Once the roast was complete, I added the juices from the casserole dish to the pan with the gravy, and simmered the mixture for fifteen minutes under glass. Mmm! A beautiful gravy.

Served with boiled potatoes and finely diced curly kale, simmered under.glass for ten minutes. Dress with some freshly ground black pepper.

Preparing the Silverside. The  joint was sealed on all sides in a flat-lidded pan in some sunflower oil. Once browned, the joint was put into a lidded casserole dish with about 300 mls of water, and the dish was put into an oven preheated to 190 deg C, on the middle shelf.

The joint was  900g in weight, so the cooking time was about 80 minutes (25 minutes per 500g, plus another 25 minutes is the basic formula). You can judge by eye how the joint is progressing. The final twenty minutes were spent unlidded, in order to further brown the joint.

The joint can be cut manually into slices with a large sharp knife once it has cooled.

Roast Silverside Beef, with a Parsnip and Onion Gravy

 The joint was sealed on all sides in a flat-lidded pan in some sunflower oil. Once browned, the joint was put into a lidded casserole dish with about 300 mls of water, and the dish was put into an oven preheated to 190 deg C, on the middle shelf.

The joint was  900g in weight, so the cooking time was about 80 minutes (25 minutes per 500g, plus another 25 minutes is the basic formula). You can judge by eye how the joint is progressing. The final twenty minutes were spent unlidded, in order to further brown the joint.

The joint can be cut manually into slices with a large sharp knife once it has cooled.

The gravy was made with parsnips, turnip, celery and onion, all diced, and cooked in boiling water for about half an hour, after which the ingredients were mashed. They continued to cook for a further half an hour. Then I added a pinch of paprika, a pinch of both Rosemary and Thyme, and some beef stock.

I blended the whole mixture with a hand electric mixer. Once the roast was complete, I added the juices from the casserole dish to the pan with the gravy, and simmered the mixture for fifteen minutes under glass. Mmm! A beautiful gravy.

Served with boiled potatoes and carrots.

Parsnip, Carrot, Onion and Celery Soup

A simple winter vegetable soup, made with diced parsnip, carrot, onion, celery, and some diced brussels sprouts (they were in the fridge and needed to be used for something). Plus a quarter cupful of red lentils.

All added to a saute pan of boiling water and simmered under glass for forty-five minutes, and then mashed. Simmered again for fifteen minutes, along with vegetable stock, a pinch of turmeric and of paprika, and a couple of shakes of ground white pepper.

Finished with a light drizzle of sunflower oil, which gives it an attractive sheen, as if the vegetables have been cooked in a pot along with a joint of pork.

Roast Chicken in Gravy

Not everything needs to be complicated. A simple dish of roast chicken slices, boiled potato and carrot, served with a delicious chicken gravy.

Three skinned chicken breasts were roasted in a casserole dish in the oven, on a bed of sliced carrot and parsnips. The chicken was drizzled with sunflower oil, and seasoned with sea salt. A little water was added (about 100 mls), and the casserole dish spent 45 minutes in the lidded casserole, and another 15 minutes with the lid removed (allowing the chicken breasts to become golden brown on the surface). Cooked at 190 deg C on the middle shelf.

The chicken was removed from the casserole dish, and then the vegetables were removed with a slatted spoon - the latter to become the basis of a chicken and parsnip soup.

Once cooled, the chicken breasts were sliced with an electric carving  knife before serving.

The gravy was made with the juices from the roast, which were decanted to a small pan  containing 200 mls of boiling water: some chicken and vegetable stock was added, along with a teaspoonful of onion gravy granules, a pinch of paprika, plus some sage and black pepper. Serve with a generous portion of the gravy!

Chicken, Carrot and Parsnip Soup

The chicken for this soup came from a roast in a casserole dish. The chicken breasts were on top of a bed of sliced carrots (2) and a parsnip, along with a little water. The chicken was salted with sea-salt, pressed into the flesh. Then the whole ensemble was drizzled with some sunflower oil.

After roasting for an hour (45 minutes under glass, and then with the casserole dish lid removed for a further 15 minutes, until slightly browned) at 190 deg C, the dish was placed on the hob, and allowed to cool.

Once cooled, the chicken was removed from the dish, and the vegetables were placed in a lidded pot in boiling water. The soup was made with some of the surplus chicken, after the chicken breasts were sliced with an electric knife.

The vegetables were boiled for a further twenty minutes, before being mashed. Then the pieces of chicken (diced) were added, along with chicken stock, a little vegetable stock, and two pinches of sage. Simmered for another half an hour, after which the soup was ready to serve.

Ground Beef and Potato Chilli

A beef chilli made entirely without onions. 500 grams of ground scotch beef (5 per cent fat) was browned in a saute pan in a little sunflower oil for twenty minutes at a high heat, quickly reduced to a medium heat. Stirred every minute or so.

Once all the beef had browned, one medium sized cubed courgette was added to the pan, and one medium sized cubed parsnip. Stirred in thoroughly. Add half a red bell pepper, diced. Cook for another fifteen minutes at a medium heat.

After that add the fresh deseeded and diced chillies, red and green. Cook for another five minutes before adding three quarters of a pint of boiling water to the saute pan.

Add a half teaspoonful of turmeric powder, the tomato puree, the beef stock, and the bay leaves (three). Simmer under glass for an hour to two hours, until the beef is tender. The contents of the pan can be mashed before serving, but this is not necessary.

Serve with separately boiled potatoes, and some ground black pepper.

Beetroot and Parsnip Soup

A simple borscht style soup made with fresh boiled beetroot (2), 2 medium onions, about 100g of turnip or swede, and one medium parsnip.

All the vegetables were peeled and diced, and cooked in boiling water for about 40 minutes. After that they were mashed. I added some vegetable stock (salt will do instead), and a pinch of marjoram.

Served with a plain flatbread, or one flavoured with some diced coriander, and black pepper. Fabulous!

Parsnip and Leek Soup

A rich soup made with parsnip, leek, celery, carrot, turnip or swede, green lentils, tomato puree, turmeric, vegetable and chicken stock, paprika, basil, rosemary, bay leaf,  and oregano. With a generous sprinkling of black pepper.

Chop the vegetables into chunks. The vegetables were first stir-fried in some sunflower oil, until soft, then I added boiling water. Cooked under glass with two bay leaves for at least an hour and a half. Allow to cool.

Once cooled, mash the vegetables. Remove the bay leaves. Add the green lentils (a third of a cupful), two squeezes of tomato puree, half a teaspoonful of turmeric, half a teaspoonful of paprika, the vegetable and chicken stock, plus the herbs (two pinches each if dried). Cook for another hour.

Blend the mixture for at least a minute until smooth. Cook for a further half an hour, by which time it will be ready to serve. Add black pepper according to taste. Served (in this case) with home-baked wheat-free brown bread, made with Dove's farm brown flour.

Macaroni Cheese with Cauliflower, Parsnips and Tomato

My own variation on Macaroni cheese. Made with chopped cauliflower, parsnip and onion, boiled and drained. Two thinly sliced salad tomatoes, a teaspoonful of paprika, white pepper, a dessert spoonful of cornmeal, blue Stilton cheese (100g), and Cheddar cheese (150g). And two handfuls of dried macaroni.

Unlike most recipes for Macaroni cheese, this one does not involve any milk (though you can add some if you like).

Boil and drain the vegetables. Make a sauce with the cornmeal and some water (about 200 mls - beat until there are no lumps in the mixture). Boil until the sauce thickens, then add the crumbled blue Stilton cheese, and some white pepper. Stir frequently until all the cheese has dissolved, and allow to cool. Boil the macaroni for ten minutes, drain, and allow to cool also.

 Mix together in a pyrex bowl (the dish is going into the oven at around 190 deg. C) the vegetables, the macaroni, and the cheese sauce. Slice the tomato, and grate the cheddar cheese. Lay the tomato slices over the top until the surface is covered completely.  Mix in the teaspoonful of paprika with the grated cheddar. Spoon the cheese and paprika mixture over the top of the layer of tomato, until it is completely covered.

Put the bowl (uncovered) into a preheated oven at 190 deg. C, and cook for one hour, until the cheese is melted and beautifully browned. Serve with a large spoon. Fabulous dish!

Chestnut Meatloaf, with Parsnip Chips and Cranberry Sauce

Made with outdoor bred pork sausage meat from Sainsbury's, one diced apple, one diced onion, three medium handfuls of porage oats, one beaten egg (actually optional, and it was skipped in this case), 100g of diced cooked chestnuts, and 40 g of salted butter, Mix together thoroughly by hand in a large glass bowl.

Herbs used were a pinch of nutmeg and a generous pinch of rosemary.

 Cooked in the oven on the previous day at around 180 deg C, for forty minutes (watched carefully). Sliced when cold, and stored in the fridge.

Because the meatloaf contained pork sausage meat it was important to make sure it was thoroughly heated. Reheated in a flat, lidded pan.

Served with brussels sprouts (6 to 9 minutes in boiling water under glass),  and with roast parsnip chips in a salsa of tomato ketchup, tomato puree, marinade from a jar of red peppers, oregano, black pepper, smoked paprika, etc. Roasted in the oven for about 35 minutes at 180 deg C. Watch carefully, and turn halfway through. Plus a dessert spoonful of cranberry sauce.

Lamb, Cabbage, and Root Vegetable Soup

Made with the remains of a lamb and root vegetable stew, originally made with neck steak, with parsnips, potato, onion, spring onion, celery, plus yellow and green pepper. Plus lamb stock, but no herbs.

The Lamb Stew - Brown the steak. Add the other vegetables plus boiling water, and stir together. Cook at a low simmer for two hours until the lamb is tender. Add the lamb stock in the last fifteen minutes or so to retain the strongest flavour.

The Lamb Soup - Green cabbage was added to the remains of the lamb and vegetable stew, plus some tabasco sauce, some red chilli sauce, and rosemary. Cook at a medium heat for twenty minutes. You can mash or blend the vegetables if you prefer. Serve with ground black pepper.  Delicious!

Lamb Neck Steak with Root Vegetables

Braising neck steak, with parsnips, potato, onion, spring onion, celery, plus yellow and green pepper.

Lamb stock, but no herbs. Served with black pepper. Other root vegetables can be used according to what you have in your fridge.

Brown the lamb steaks for ten minutes on each side at a medium heat, in a little sunflower oil. Add a chopped onion and fry for another ten minutes or so.

Add boiling water to the pan. Add the other vegetables, and stir together. Cook at a low simmer for another two hours until the lamb is tender. Add the lamb stock in the last fifteen minutes or so to retain the strongest flavour.