Brighten Winter Meals With the Rich, Sweet Flavors of Root VegetablesAmerican Institute for Cancer Research WASHINGTON, DC - Root vegetables like beets, carrots, parsnips and turnips, which reach their peak at this time of the year, make perfect candidates for winter dishes, releasing rich, sweet flavors and aromas as they oven-roast. And, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), root vegetables also contain substances that fight cancer and help strengthen our resistance to other health problems.  According to food and cooking authority Harold McGee, "When certain foods are browned, roasted or broiled, several chemical processes occur, producing a sweeter, richer flavor than other cooking methods. This is especially true with foods that contain natural sugars, like beets and other root vegetables. Compared to cooking methods like boiling, high oven temperatures intensify the natural sweetness and create more complex flavors." Their Sweet Richness Makes Root Vegetables a Long-Time Favorite Beets have been eaten by man since prehistory and are native across a wide region from Britain to India. Exceptionally high in natural sugar (up to eight percent of its weight), the beet's sweetness increases with oven roasting. Carrots were originally native to Afghanistan but also known to the Greeks and Romans. The variety familiar to us now was developed in the Middle Ages and brought to America by the colonists. Cultivated for about 4,000 years, the turnip has been a staple food for much of the poor in Eurasia. But gourmet diners love its delicate, lightly sweet taste, and experienced chefs appreciate its versatility. In addition to adding them to one-pot oven dishes or stir-fries, turnips can be mashed or puréed for a pleasant change from mashed potatoes. The first frost of winter converts the parsnip's starch to sugar, but its pleasantly sweet flavor is under-appreciated in the U.S. compared to Europe. Its dense flavor adds complexity to casseroles and, in combination with other vegetables like carrots and turnips, makes a winning combination of pleasure and healthful nutrition. Root Vegetables Provide Cancer-Fighting, Health - Protective Benefits Melanie Polk, RD, AICR's Director of Nutrition Education, notes that, "In addition to their natural sweetness, root vegetables like carrots, beets and parsnips are high in nutrients, dietary fiber and a range of cancer-fighting substances called phytochemicals." Carrots are rich in vitamin A and phytochemicals (naturally found only in plant foods), like carotenoids. (Large carrots have ten times more carotenoids and vitamin A than the baby ones do.) Carrots also contain a pectin fiber that has been found to have cholesterol-lowering properties. Parsnips are part of the carrot family. They have a nutrient and phytochemical profile similar to other vegetables in this group, and are good at fighting cancer and heart disease. Turnips, which are part of the mustard family, contain vitamin C and phytochemicals with tongue-twister names like dithiolthiones, isothiocyanates and organosulfides. These phytochemicals work together in different ways to combat cancer, heart disease and DNA damage. Beets contain calcium and anti-oxidants, which help fight free radicals, the damaging forms of oxygen that attack the cell's membranes and contents. Beets are also high in dietary fiber. Selecting, Storing and Preparing Root Vegetables for Cooking Choose root vegetables that are smooth and firm, with a bright color. The best carrots are young and slender, and large carrots have more flavor than baby ones. Both parsnips and turnips are preferable young, when they are small and sweeter. Although parsnips are available year-round, their peak months are in fall and winter, after the first frost. Beets are also best selected at this time of year. Store carrots in a plastic bag in the vegetable bin of a refrigerator, away from apples, which release a gas that can give carrots a bitter taste. Although turnips can be refrigerated, tightly wrapped, for 2 weeks, they do best in a well-ventilated, cool (55 degrees) area. Parsnips and beets can also be refrigerated in a plastic bag for up to two weeks. Young carrots need only a rinsing, but older ones should be peeled before cooking. Turnips and parsnips should be washed, trimmed and peeled before using. When beets are ready to be oven roasted, their skins should be left on to avoid damage to cells and prevent their deep red color from dissipating. (To avoid staining your hands when peeling beets afterwards, use disposable gloves while slipping off the skin with a paring knife.) In addition to the health benefits of parsnips, the sweet potato in the following dish offers cancer-fighting carotenoids plus the nutrients and fiber that also help protect against heart disease. Honey-Roasted Parsnips with Sweet Potatoes and Apples Canola oil spray Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking pan or casserole dish with oil spray and set aside. In large mixing bowl, place parsnips, sweet potato and apples and set aside. In microwave-safe bowl, mix oil and honey. Warm in microwave, about 10 seconds. Mix in soy sauce. Pour sauce onto vegetables and apples. Toss to coat well. Transfer to baking pan and cover with foil. Bake until very tender, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve. Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 112 calories, 2 g. total fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat), 23 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. protein, 4 g. dietary fiber, 208 mg. sodium. Root Vegetable Medley Canola oil spray Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking pan or casserole dish with oil spray. Place onion, rutabagas, parsnips, turnips and carrots in pan. In microwave-safe bowl, mix together sugar, honey and water. Warm in microwave about 10 seconds, or until sugar and honey are thoroughly dissolved. Add to baking pan and stir to coat vegetables. Bake until very tender, stirring occasionally and mixing in small amounts of water if needed to keep honey glaze moist. Add salt and pepper to taste, garnish with parsley and serve. Makes about 6 cups, or 12 servings. Per serving: 85 calories, less than 1 g. fat (0 g. saturated fat), 20 g. carbohydrate, 2 g. protein, 4 g. dietary fiber, 44 mg. sodium. Roasted Beets Canola oil spray Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat with oil spray four squares of foil large enough to wrap beets. Place each beet on a foil square. Pinch together and seal foil edges to form a pocket. Keeping them spaced apart, stand beets on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking pan. Bake until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Peel back foil to expose beets and let stand until beets are cool enough to handle but still warm. Remove skins. (To avoid stained hands, use disposable gloves while slipping off the skin with a paring knife.) Cut beets into thin wedges. In small bowl, make dressing by whisking together shallot, olive oil, juices and mustard until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Arrange lettuce leaves on a serving plate. Arrange beets on top in pinwheel fashion. (If desired, beets can first be re-heated in microwave oven.) Drizzle dressing over beets and lettuce. Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 91 calories, 4 g. fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat), 13 g. carbohydrate, 3 g. protein, 4 g. dietary fiber, 113 mg. sodium.
For more information, or to contact American Institute for Cancer Research, see their website at: www.aicr.org |
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