This past week, we posted a recipe for a Whole Braised Holiday Cauliflower, which was pictured served with this very nourishing and super tasty Celeriac and Parsnip mash. We promised to come back with the mash recipe this weekend, so here it is.
I grew up on mashed potatoes – my mom probably made them twice a week or more, which is quite standard for a Russian household, where potatoes somehow make it into every meal every day. I love mashed potatoes to this day and can easily put away a good portion, which I think is true for a lot of people due to the dish’s comfort food status. I remember discovering that other roots could be eaten as a mash upon moving to the U.S. – I was at one of my first Thanksgiving dinners and was quite impressed with the mashed sweet potato option that was offered. Slowly, I came around to the idea at home, and now, whenever I have a craving but don’t feel like being weighed down by the inevitably large portion of mashed potatoes I will consume, I make something similar with other, more nutritious and lighter roots. This celeriac and parsnip mash is my absolute favorite version for that scenario. Each of the pale roots are known for their unique, characteristic flavors, which combine well in this mash and become quite complementary with that earthy sweetness they both have going on. This is mash elevated – lighter and more nourishing than mashed potatoes and more interesting in flavor than mashed sweet potato, but still starchy, creamy and very comforting. This stuff is great to have on your holiday table to surprise your guests with something new, yet familiar, or just make a batch of it to have alongside your meals for the week, to get more nutritious wintery roots in your diet. Frying up sage leaves until they are crispy is an easy trick for fancying up a modest looking autumn dish like this one, and the chip-like sage itself is surprisingly delicious.
There are some weekend links after the jump, have a cozy Sunday ;)
How to Master the Art of Getting Noticed – Austin Kleon’s advice to aspiring artists
Salad for President – always so much good stuff on this website, like Leif Hedendal cooking salad at the David Ireland House, Yuri Shimojo’s home and Japanese Crudité Recipe, Laila Gohar’s food as installation art and more
The Woman Code Cleanse Review – just read Alisa Vitti’s The Woman Code (and loved it), and was very excited to read about Dana’s experience of the gentle four-day cleanse proposed in the book
Noël Graupner – new instagram crush, plant-based private chef with an Ayurvedic tradition background and great photography skills
Street Vendors of Hanoi, Photographed from Above – amazing
Jade Rolling – have you tried it? I saw a lady doing this on the subway recently (weird setting for that), and it looked really relaxing.
Three New Cookbooks, for Health’s Sake – so many health-centered cookbooks coming out nowadays, and these three look great (two of them are from our publisher!) I have a copy Dandelion and Quince and it’s a beauty.
- 1 large or 2 medium celeriacs - peeled and roughly chopped
- 2-3 parsnips - peeled and roughly chopped
- sea salt
- 1 large red onion - peeled and sliced into 8 wedges
- 1-2 garlic heads - separated into cloves (no need to peel the cloves)
- coconut oil - to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
- any plant milk or cooking water from boiling the roots - to taste
- ghee or olive oil - to taste
- 1 small bunch sage - leaves
- smoked paprika - for garnish (optional)
- olive oil - for garnish (optional)
- Preheat oven 400° F (200° C).
- Bring celeriac and parsnips to a boil in a large pot of water. Reduce heat to a strong simmer and cook vegetables for 10-15 minutes, until soft throughout, adding salt towards the end.
- Place onion and garlic onto a parchment paper-covered baking tray. Add coconut oil, salt, pepper and mix well. Bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, garlic should be done but the onions might need more time - in this case, remove garlic from oven and finish baking the onion until completely soft and caramelized. Slip garlic cloves out of their shells.
- Drain the boiled vegetables, reserving some of the cooking liquid if you'll be using it in place of plant milk. Place vegetables into a large bowl together with the roasted garlic and mash with a potato masher to your desired consistency.
- Place roasted onion and ½ cup plant milk/cooking water into a blender and blend until smooth. Add blended onion to the mashed vegetables, adding more liquid if needed to achieve your desired consistency. Add ghee or olive oil to taste. Alternatively, mix all the vegetables in a food processor together with the plant milk/cooking liquid, which will make for a smoother, less textured puree.
- Heat 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil in a medium pan on medium heat. Add well-dried sage leaves to the pan along with salt and pepper and fry, stirring, for a couple of minutes until crispy. Mix the oil left over from frying the sage into the mash. Optionally, mix in some of the crispy sage into the mash as well. Garnish mash with crispy sage, smoked paprika and olive oil, and serve.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
I love celeriac! And such a great combo with the sweet parsnips!
Always was a HUGE mashed and buttery and so unhealthy potato girl growing up. My grandpa made THE BEST mashed potatoes and I’d always covet them on thanksgiving :P
Anya says
Thank you Rebecca :)
robyn says
You meant to say 2-3 parsnips not turnips right? Or can you use turnips also?
Anya says
Hi Robyn,
Thanks for pointing that out! Supposed to be parsnips, I corrected it :)
Natalia says
If it’s with sage, yes, i love it! Never tried celeriac with sage, but can’t wait to try it! I put celeriac to every soup which requires potatoes and it’s always a win! So glad to find it so easily and cheap in shops!
Anya says
Glad you share our love for celeriac ;)