[Super easy to make, these savory and cheesy Parsnip Fries are vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg free, soy-free and nut-free. Suitable for Stage 2 and beyond on an anti-candida diet.]
I may love my Kindle, but there’s still nothing like a new book in your hands. (Am I right, or am I right?).
So I was doubly excited last month when I received Mark Reinfeld’s Healing the Vegan Way for review last month. This is so much more than a cookbook; it’s also a resource guide and fount of information about various health conditions and how plant-based food can help improve and restore health.
I was immediately eager to dig right in and start my typical bookmarking with sticky notes. And the book didn’t disappoint! With over 375 pages and chapters on everything from different Preventable Health Challenges to Different Nutritional Theories (so you can choose the one that’s right for you), to Pillars of the Plant Kingdom (which foods are most nutrient-dense for optimal health) and even meals plans to put everything into practice, the book offers a plethora of information on how food can address certain health issues (heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer, obesity).
There are also ten recipe chapters, covering everything from prep and pantry basics to all types of beverages, snacks/appetizers, salads and dressings, soups and stews, main dishes, and desserts. The book is designed for ease of use, offering up a “template” recipe in many cases, which Reinfeld encourages you to tweak and play with to make your own (he also offers substitutions and variations in most cases, even providing oil-free and gluten-free versions for every recipe).
Some of the recipes I look forward to trying are the Digest Aid Juice, Quick Kimchi, Ranch Kale Salad, BBQ Roasted Tofu with Collards, Creamy Lentil Saag, Superfood Trail Mix, and Pumpkin Pudding. I also already tried out the yummy raw Pecan Pate (sorry, forgot to snap a pic!). Recipes use whole food ingredients, and many are easily adaptable to the anti-candida diet.
[Mark Reinfeld and his new book during our interview for The Sweet Life Club.]
I had the privilege of speaking with Mark for my Sweet Life Club interviews, where he shared the inspiration for the book and his philosophy about food and healing. It was a great conversation, and I was thrilled to be able to ask Mark about the making of the book, the different nutritional approaches to health and various chronic conditions, his feelings about sugar and how to sweeten foods healthfully, and more.
I found his approach very much in line with my own belief that there is no “one” perfect diet for everyone, and that people need to find what works for their individual bodies. As Mark said in the interview, his ideal diet is a “day by day experience of tuning in to what’s optimal for [each of] us.”
Mark kindly granted permission to reprint this recipe for Parsnip Fries from the book. These are crispy, cheesy, and spicy–a perfect combination! Of course, if any of the ingredients doesn’t work for you, the recipe is also easily adaptable, as are almost all the recipes in the book.
Parsnip Fries
reprinted with permission from Healing the Vegan Way, ©2016 Da Capo Lifelong books.
Mark writes, “A root vegetable native to Eurasia, parsnips have a close relation with the more commonly used carrot, including the similarity of raw edibility and hint of sweetness.” I love parsnips roasted, and these fries are a fabulous variation!
4 medium-size parsnips
1 Tbsp (30 ml) unrefined coconut oil, preferably organic, melted
1-1/2 Tbsp (22.5 ml) nutritional yeast (optional)
1/4 tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt, or to taste
3/4 tsp (3.5 ml) paprika
1/8 tsp (.5 ml) freshly ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
oil, for baking sheet [I used parchment paper]
1 Tbsp (30 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
Preheat oven to 450F (230 C). Slice the parsnips into mathsticks about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch thick (7.5 x 1.5 cm). Measure out 4 cups (l L) for this recipe.
Place in a bowl with the oil, nutritional yeast, if using, salt, paprika, black pepper and cayenne and toss well.
Transfer to the baking sheet and bake until just crispy, about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally with a spatula to prevent sticking.
Drizzle with lime juice before serving. Makes 4 servings.
Variations: replace the parsnip with sweet potato, russet potato, carrot, turnip or rutabaga. Or, add 1 Tbsp (30 ml) of an ethnic spice blend, such as Mexican, Indian or Ethiopian (recipes in his book) along with the salt and pepper.
Suitable for: ACD All stages (without nutritional yeast); refined sugar-free, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg free, soy-free, nut free, vegan.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase using those links, at no cost to you, I will receive a small percentage of the sale.
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