Baked Turnip Casserole

Although turnips are not a vegetable in vogue, turnips, in my humble opinion are simply tops. 😉 You know when you look around the table and see people making faces it’s usually because they are disappointed that they aren’t consuming potatoes but unassuming turnips, although not everyone’s favourite are just as delicious in this savoury dish.

If you are watching your insulin levels and are wary of starchy vegetables, turnips make a great potato replacement with the added bonus of being a member of the famous cruciferous vegetable family…think Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kale.

As a result turnips are brimming with disease fighting phytochemicals, allowing the body to defend itself from cancer causing substances. Got a cold? nix the glass of sugary OJ and opt for some turnip casserole…with the juice content of turnips having twice as much vitamin c as its sweet counterpart this dish will have you feeling on top of the world.

If you’re wondering what turnips to use, generally older turnips have a more identifiable and stronger flavor than young turnips. Smaller and younger turnips are sweeter in taste so for a more savoury dish try larger turnips.

Nutritional Yeast, which I use often and sprinkle it into as many dishes as I can, is the perfect substitute in creating that cheesy twist to meals sans the dairy which many people can find troublesome and hard to digest. For people who are on a restricted anti-candida diet it’s ok to consume nutritional yeast as it will not affect candida.

As nutritional yeast is a type of deactivated yeast, it won’t ferment in your stomach and affect healthy gut flora that you are trying to cultivate. What it will do however, is provide you with an amazing spectrum of B-vitamins. Think a few of DAYS worth of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6 and B12.

Baked Turnip casserole is an enjoyable way to incorporate turnips into your meals and turn you from a turnip hater into a turnip lover.

Baked Turnip Casserole

SERVINGS
4-6

INGREDIENTS
5 round turnips cut into quarters
4 TBS extra-virgin olive oil,
4 TBS almond milk

3 TBS nutritional yeast flakes
1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves sliced finely
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup red pepper, finely chopped

1 tsp thyme
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
paprika to garnish

PREPARATION
Cook turnips in boiling salted water until tender, about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 230 Celsius
Meanwhile In a frying pan heat half (2 TBS) of EV olive oil over medium heat

Sauté onions, celery and red pepper until tender, remove from heat and set aside

Drain turnips then replace in saucepan and add milk and mash with a masher or fork and season. You can also do this step in a blender.

Now add onion mixture, mix gently and add thyme
In a casserole dish place remaining olive oil and spoon mixture into the dish

Sprinkle with nutritional yeast flakes and bake for 15 minutes

Enjoy 🙂