Maple-Sage Glazed Turnips

Believe it or not, it has been over a month since I tried a previously untried, or less tried, vegetable from the produce section. As I wait for fall to come upon us with eager anticipation (all those lovely squash .. um!) .. I  have been having some difficulty findings an interesting new veggie to try. All I've been seeing in stores was BEETS ... and well, I'd rather not! Although I have been very adventurous and have tried quite a few new and obscure (to me!) vegetables, I'm still not ready for beets. So I settled on making Turnips - my New Veggie #40. 

Maple-Sage Glazed Turnips

I have eaten turnips before, as a child. It isn't my fondest memory and I wasn't chomping at the bit to try them again. But .. I had tried Rutabaga (#34) not too long ago and really liked it. Everything I've read told me that Rutabaga and Turnips are close in taste .. hence the decision to give Turnips a second ... umm 20th chance :)

In the Indian sub-continent, the most popular recipe is probably mashed turnips with fresh cilantro, turmeric and jaggery. It is often diced and added to meaty stews in place of potatoes as well.  I didn't want to try the same old (and to be very blah!) recipe for turnips. A quick Google search revealed this gem on myrecipes.com. The recipe was perfect for me as it already had no added fat.

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

1. 5 small turnips
2. 1/4 Cup Vegetable Broth
3. 3 tbsp Pure Maple Syrup
4. 3-4 tbsp Fresh Chopped Sage 
5. Red Pepper flakes, to taste
6. Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Trim and peel turnips and cut each into 8 wedges or quarters.

Line a skillet on medium heat with vegetable broth and  mix in maple syrup and a half teaspoon of salt. Add turnips and chopped sage (save a small amount for a garnish). 

Once the liquid comes to a boil, give everything a quick mix, reduce heat to medium low and cover. Cook covered, until turnips are tender (mine took about 8-9 minutes). Uncover and cook until the liquid evaporates and the turnips are glazed. 

Transfer to a serving bowl once done. Garnish with the remainder of the chopped sage, freshly cracked black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Add a sprinkle of sea salt, if needed. 

My Assessment: These turned out great. I will definitely be making turnips again :) And the best part about this dish was the crunchy bits of glazed sage that I picked off the skillet!! Yum!