Rosemary Garlic Parsnip Fries

Let’s talk about FRIES! I find that at this time of year, fries are especially valued. I mean if ya think about it, with summer comes with more frequent diner visits and barbecues; and with all that grilling comes hamburgers, all those veggie sides, and you guessed it, fries! Don’t get me wrong there’s no problem with the standard potato fry, but I wanted to switch things up and make something that can easily be done at home, still tastes delicious and is definitely more healthy for you. Enter parsnip fries. If you’ve never had parsnips I don’t know what to say to you. They look like a bland old root vegetable, but trust me they taste delicious. They can be enjoyed so many ways including roasted, mashed and even made into chips. However, today I am bringing you them in the fry variety. Let me show you how!

Start by peeling your parsnips and chopping them into fry sized sticks. Get out your oil and spices. For this recipe I used dried rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. I also used sunflower oil instead of olive oil because it crisps up the fries much better than olive oil in the oven. I would stick to this oil choice, however, the best part about this recipe is that you can adjust the seasonings to your preference! There’s so many ways to do this.

Next, in a large bowl add the parsnip sticks, seasonings, and oil. Too much oil will leave them flimsy, so only use enough to have the seasonings stick. Toss and coat evenly.

Then, spread evenly on a baking sheet. I line the baking sheet with aluminum foil rather than parchment paper because they won’t stick, but will still be able to crisp. I’ve found that parchment can prevent that.  Try to make sure they are all flat and not overlapping each other. This will ensure a crispier outcome. Touching is okay because they reduce in size a lot in the oven, but we want each fry to have room to get crispy all over, and overlapping can prevent that.

In a 415 degrees Fahrenheit preheated oven, bake the parsnips for about 30 minutes, or until crispy and golden, flipping them over at the halfway point. It always helps to check along the way to ensure they don’t burn, because every oven is different, and your preference of crispiness may vary! You may want to bake less time or even more time than I did. It’s up to you!

Once out of the oven, let cool for a few minutes and serve! You can add dipping sauce of choice or add some parmesan on top. These also make a great dinner side. This recipe makes just one side of parsnip fries, but you can obviously double the recipe or adjust for bigger batches! They are simply delicious, I think you’d be surprised how something so tasty could come from a non-technical fry! Make them for a summer dinner party, simply for dinner with family, or all for yourself for an afternoon snack (that’s what I did…whoops)! 

 

I hope you’ll be trying out this recipe! What other vegetable fries do you like? What’s your favorite in-season summer food? Hope you all enjoy 🙂

 

With Love,

Jenna