Cinnamon Citrus Roasted Parsnips

Have you guys ever had parsnips?

 

I have a feeling that about 110% of you will say yes and confirm the fact that I’ve known for some time: that I’m literally the last person on the planet to ever try these.

 

But then that’s also kind of a lie.  See, a few years ago I saw a recipe for some sort of nut-butter roasted parsnips on a highly renowned blog and went for it.  And they tasted absolutely terrible.  Horrible.  Even now, as a newly discovered parsnip lover, that recipe sends chills down my spine.  So I figure that since the experience was so terrible I might as well just say that I’d never tried them before.  I even Googled “what do parsnips taste like” to see if trying them again was even a road I wanted to go down.

 

Y’all, I promise that this recipe will not fail the way the previous one did for me.  The way I see it roasted vegetables are a really simple dish and as such should be prepared very simply.  Good, solid flavors that develop through the roasting process and that bring out the flavor of the actual vegetable.  When it comes to roasting vegetables I usually just go down the olive oil/salt/pepper road and it never fails.  Since parsnips have a really fun earthy/herbal/sweet flavor I thought they would pair well with a splash of orange juice and dash of cinnamon in addition to the standard roasting routine.  And you know what?  Perfection!

CINNAMON CITRUS ROASTED PARSNIPS

• 5-6 parsnips, washed and peeled
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp orange juice (fresh squeezed if you can do it!)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425.  In a large bowl whisk together the olive oil, cinnamon, orange juice, salt and pepper.  Slice the parsnips into quarters length-wise, and then cut in half (each parsnip will make about 8 slices).  Toss in the olive oil mixture and then spread onto a making sheet sprayed with nonstick spray.  Roast at 425 for 15 minutes, toss, and then roast another 15 minutes until all liquid is evaporated and the parsnips are golden and crisp.  Serve hot or at room temperature!