Parsnip & Pear Country Loaf

Author Mary Wood, RHN, Recipe by Chef Steve Boomhour

Everyone needs a splurge over the holidays, and this Parsnip & Pear Country Loaf has a few surprises and a couple of nutritional bonuses. You have your traditional onions, celery, bread [albeit multigrain if possible] and sage with parsnips substituted for the potato, and a low-sodium chicken or turkey broth, and the addition of fresh cranberries and pears—yum!

Don’t kid yourself though and think you can go wild and eat as much as you like, as one-twelfth of this recipe provides almost 500 calories, along with 6 grams of fibre or higher and 16 grams of protein [which is great!], plus an assortment of B vitamins and folacin. So, enjoy all the flavours, but don’t place a heaping mound of it on your plate, especially if you are going to cover it with a layer of homemade gravy; moderation in everything is the key.

For another recipe idea, one of my favourite ways to use up left-over turkey is to layer any remaining vegetables, potato, meat, gravy, etc., with the shredded turkey meat in a casserole dish, and top with seasoned bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes at 350ºF, and serve with additional cranberries and a fresh salad. As with all meals, make sure you have an assortment of fresh and cooked vegetables and fruits available as sides or appetizers to provide additional vitamins and minerals, to keep your immune system running at its best.

Have a great season!

Ingredients

1 large white onion, diced finely
2 stalks celery, diced finely
2 cups parsnips, diced
2 cups fresh pears, diced
1 cup fresh cranberries
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons sage, fresh, chopped
1 large egg, slightly beaten
8 cups stale bread, preferably whole grain, 1-inch dice
pinch salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, or turkey stock, warmed

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the onions, celery and garlic and cook until onions are clear, not brown. Remove the mixture from heat and fold in parsnips, pears, cranberries, and sage. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and let cool slightly.
2. Preheat the oven to 425º F.
3. When the vegetable mixture has cooled slightly, add the egg and bread and mix to coat. Add the chicken stock until the mixture is moist. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Butter a large baking dish and scrape the mixture into the dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Feel free to add more bread cubes, and any other ingredient to make more or if you want leftovers.

Nutritional content per serving (excluding unknown items):
494 Calories; 8g Fat (15.0% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 89g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fibre; 22mg Cholesterol; 948mg Sodium. Exchanges: 5 1/2 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat, 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat.

Article originally published in Volume 10-6 of Your Workplace magazine