T is for TURNIPS

I tried turnips for the first time last night.  Zach had had them before; he thinks they were boiled and remembered liking them fairly well.  I wanted to go for a fail-proof recipe, so I settled on a caramelized turnip recipe that I tweaked a bit.  I figure adding sugar would mean I couldn't hate them.  And I didn't.  ;)

I know that some of my fruit and vegetable recipes aren't necessarily the most healthy fruits and veggies to eat, but I think I am taking a step in the right direction by incorporating more each day and trying ones I have never had, such as turnips, beets, and leeks.  For example, with the blueberry muffins, I know they had sugar, but I know they used lots of fresh blueberries, which is better than most packaged brands that used hardened bits of dyed high fructose corn syrup as blueberries.  Ick!

The turnips used sugar, too, but a lot of it ended up being stuck on the pan...and not on the turnips.  ;)  (I'm really not trying to rationalize using lots of butter and sugar; I just figure that with some vegetables that you have to start someplace familiar!)  Apparently, turnips are high in vitamin C.  Who knew?!  Now onward and upward...

Surprisingly, these babies were somewhat salty-tasting.  And, yes, I backtracked to make sure I used sugar, and not salt, and I know I used the correct ingredient because I used the sugar shaker.  :)  Zach and I liked these fairly well; I still think it's a vegetable that will have to grow on me a bit more because the texture sometimes threw me off.  : )~  They also became somewhat disappointing after they cooled off, but I feel that way about most vegetables.  I could never be a raw eater--I like my food piping hot!  Overall, I would say this is a recipe I am keeping around because the chicken stock, butter, and sugar gave the turnips a nice coating.  But I am excited to try more turnip recipes!

15 turnips, peeled and diced with the ends sliced off

1/3 cup water

1 1/2 teaspoon chicken stock base (I buy it at Sam's for super cheap!)

1 Tablespoon or more butter

2 Tablespoons sugar

Place turnips, water, and chicken base in a skillet and simmer on medium heat until the turnips are tender (about 15 minutes).  Stir in butter and sugar.  Cook until the turnips are sticky and turn brown (about 10 minutes).

Next time, I think I will add some carrots as well to help out with the texture!