De Ma Cuisine

Grains Archive

Monday

21

September 2015

0

COMMENTS

Whole Wheat Pear Muffins

Written by , Posted in Baking, Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Dairy-Free, Dessert, Eggs, Fruit, Gluten Free, Grains, Kid-Friendly, Lunch, Nuts, Quick and Easy, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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I’ve never been the best baker. I like to think that it’s because of my lack of skill when it comes to all things science. I got a D in chemistry in high school. Sometimes I wonder, if they’d told me how much I would care about science when I grew up, or if someone had shown me science in action, in the form of different baked goods, if it would have clicked. Maybe not, but I wonder.

So I’m slowly learning about baking. I’m a kinesthetic learner – I learn by doing, so it’s taking some trial and error to figure things out. What comes the most naturally to me when cooking is figuring things out as I go; recipes used for inspiration more than direction. That doesn’t really work with baking. But, I guess I’m learning, because these muffins did.

It helps that I know what the batter should look and feel like. The more I bake the more I know about doughs and batters and the like.

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The stars of this recipe are Asian pears and figs, but any seasonal fruit will do: apples, berries, cherries, persimmons… Use what you love and what you have on hand.

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There are also carrots, but you could use parsnips or summer squash in their place.

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I used whole wheat flour and butter. But, of course, adapt it to suit your family’s needs. You could try a gluten-free flour blend if you’d like, or to make it vegan, use cold coconut oil and substitute flax seeds and water for the egg.

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I love Burroughs Family Farms’ eggs, so that’s what I used today. The yolks are always the most brilliant golden yellow. I just can’t get enough!

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I’m pretty picky about what I eat when it comes to sugar. I’m ok with the occasional treat, but in general, I avoid refined white sugar like the plague. Instead I like to use honey and maple syrup. Combine that with the oats, whole wheat flour, vegetable, and fruit that these muffins contain, and I feel great about them for breakfast, lunch, or a satisfying snack.

I was totally going to add chocolate chips. I even had them out on the counter. Then I forgot. Add ’em if you’d like. You could also add nuts. I’m not crazy about them in baked goods. But, to bump up the protein, or just because you like them, you could add some almonds or walnuts either to the batter, or gently press them into the top before baking.

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I enjoyed these with some homemade butter. They’d been cooling for a little while when I finally got a taste, but were still warm enough to melt the butter just slightly. But even without butter (which is how I ate my second one), they’re absolutely delicious.

Happy Eating!

Whole Wheat Pear Muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 22 minutes

Total Time: 37 minutes

Yield: 1 dozen

Whole Wheat Pear Muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 C whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 1/2 t baking powder
  • 1/2 t baking soda
  • 1/4 t cinnamon
  • 1/4 t ginger
  • 1/2 C cold butter (or coconut oil), cut into small chunks
  • 1 C oats
  • 3/4 C any of the following: Asian pears, pears, apples, parsnips, carrots, squash, persimmons, (grated)
  • 1/2 C any of the following: figs, berries, cherries (pits removed), chopped
  • 1/4 C honey (or maple syrup)
  • 1/4 C maple syrup
  • 1 egg (or use ground up flaxseeds and water)
  • 1 t apple cider vinegar
  • 1 t vanilla extract
  • (optional: almonds or walnuts, chopped, for topping)

Instructions

  1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and pre-heat to 350F.
  2. Whisk flour through ginger. Mix in butter with a pastry blender or hands until coarse meal or small (pea sized) chunks remain. Stir in oats through fruit. Set in the freezer while you assemble the wet ingredients.
  3. In a separate bowl whisk honey through vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and stir to combine.
  4. Scoop about 3T of batter into each compartment of a greased muffin pan (should yield 1 dozen). Top with nuts if desired, pressing them gently into the batter. Bake for about 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the center of the muffin springs back when touched.
  5. Remove from the oven and cool for about 5 minutes in the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/whole-wheat-pear-muffins/

Monday

10

August 2015

0

COMMENTS

Chile Pepper Poppers

Written by , Posted in Appetizers, Cheese, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Gluten Free, Grains, Herbs, Legumes, Lentils, Quinoa, Rice, Roasting, Sides, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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Try saying “chile pepper poppers” over and over again. I like how it feels to say it. Kinda like how I like the feel of the word “cake”. I think I like the word “cake” more than I actually like cake itself.

I’m done now.

I’ve seen different varieties of pepper poppers before, but never actually tried to make them. They’re often filled with cheese. Yum! But, I wondered if maybe they could be filled with something a little more nutrient dense. Cheese, I’m down with, but let’s add a little more.

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I opted for green lentils, which I’m totally digging right now, and brown rice.  Along with mint and basil for a cool and fresh taste.

I used jalapeños this time. And to be honest, for me, they were too spicy. But, I used what I had on hand (and then drank a big glass of milk after I ate a whole one and my mouth burned up). Next time, I’d opt for a much milder pepper.

The tricky thing about these is since the pepper is staying almost whole, it’s hard to be sure that all the ribs and seeds are gone. I mean, I did the best I could, but there might have been more heat left in there then if I’d halved it and taken the ribs and seeds out that way.

On the Scoville scale, Chipotle, Fresno peppers, jalapeños, and wax peppers (like the Hungarian wax pepper) are rated at 3,500-10,000 Scoville Heat Units. Milder peppers are: Jalapeños (yes, they appear in two categories), Anaheim peppers, and poblano peppers (or ancho), at 1,000-4,000 SHU. And milder still: banana peppers, peperoncini, and pimentos come in at 100-900. Bell peppers are rated at a 0. The spectrum ranges from a pepper called the Carolina reaper at 2,200,000 SHU to the banana, paprika, Cubanelle, peperoncini, and pimento peppers are 100-900 SHU. (1) That’s a big range.

I use jalapeños all the time, buuuuut I don’t usually (ever) eat a whole one… in one sitting… in a three minute time period. They’re usually diced and added to dips, or Succotash, or Tacos. The heat is dispersed.

Next time I’d probably choose an Anaheim pepper or something even milder. A bell pepper would be nice. Or if you’ve got more tomatoes than you know what to do with, stuff those.

Lesson learned.

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I’m usually ok on my own for these posts. I’ve figured out how to photograph with one hand, while the other works. But today I needed both hands, and I needed a picture of it from above. I did consider trying to hold the camera with my chin and shoulder. I thought better of it and asked Tim, who now does freelance work from home too, for help instead. (Don’t tell him what I was thinking of doing, m’kay? 😉 )

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Once I settled on trying to shove the filling in with the handle of a spoon (after a few failed attempts with other utensils), I got the poppers roasting. I opted for the toaster oven, since it’s one bazillion degrees out right now. And my toaster oven opted to crap out on me, resulting in partially roasted pepper poppers. But, they were done enough, they were hot and bubbly, just not quite as soft as I would have liked (hence the 30-60 minute suggestion in the recipe – that way you can have ’em how you want ’em).

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With the right pepper for you, these are a nice little treat. Appetizer, lunch, side at dinner… There was a lot more filling than I ended up needing. But, I chopped up the leftover peppers, with filling, and added them to some green beans and summer squash that were sautéeing in olive oil. The filling got a little crispy (which makes me happy), the chopped up peppers added just a kick of heat, the lentils were there for protein, the rice to get in some grains. Oh and then I topped it with a fried egg. So, I’d make all the filling, if you’re ok with leftovers*. You can pop it in the freezer if you’re not going to eat it in a few days. Winner winner we just made tomorrow’s dinner.

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Happy Eating!

Chile Pepper Poppers

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Yield: 3-5 (chile peppers) or 2-4 (bell peppers)

Serving Size: 2 chile peppers or 1 bell pepper

Chile Pepper Poppers

Ingredients

  • 1/2 C uncooked green lentils (need about 1/2 C cooked)
  • 1 1/2 C water
  • 1/2 C uncooked brown rice (or quinoa) (need about 1/2 C cooked)
  • 1 C water
  • 1 C onion (or shallot), chopped
  • to taste salt
  • pinch ginger
  • 1 T fresh Thai basil (or any variety basil), chopped
  • 1 T fresh mint, chopped
  • 1-2 T feta or extra firm tofu, crumbled
  • 6-10 large hot peppers* (or 2-4 bell peppers), stem sliced off, ribs and seeds removed using a paring knife (do not use fingernails)

Instructions

  1. Cook lentils with water (about 15-20 minutes, or according to package's instructions) (don't overcook). Drain if there is extra water.
  2. Cook rice (according to package's instructions), after about 15 minutes stir in onions. Continue to cook until rice is done (don't overcook).
  3. Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
  4. Mix lentils and rice with salt through mint. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Mix in feta or tofu. Stuff into peppers using the end of a spoon. Stand in a small ramekin (and place on a baking sheet) or lay flat on a baking sheet (some filling may spill out). Roast for about 30-60 minutes, or until peppers have softened slightly.

Notes

Filling may yield more than needed. Leftovers are great reheated in a skillet with some olive oil, veggies, and topped with a fried egg or piece of crispy tofu. *Use peppers as hot as you would like. On the Scoville scale, Chipotle, Fresno peppers, jalapeños, and wax peppers (like Hungarian wax pepper) are rated at 3,500-10,000 Scoville Heat Units. Milder peppers are: Jalapeños, Anaheim peppers, poblano (or ancho), at 1,000-4,000 SHU. And milder still: banana peppers, peperoncini, and pimentos come in at 100-900. Bell peppers are rated at a 0.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/chile-pepper-poppers/

*To cool leftover rice, here’s what I like to do: Let it cool on the counter for a bit, then put it in the fridge, stirring every once in a while, keeping it fluffy (and not too packed into the container so it will cool properly).

(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoville_scale

Thursday

28

May 2015

0

COMMENTS

Customizable Panzanella Salad

Written by , Posted in Beans, Beef, Bread, Cheese, Condiments, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Eggs, Fish, Fruit, Gluten Free, Grains, Herbs, Legumes, Low Carb, Lunch, Main Dishes, Meat, Nuts, Pork, Poultry, Quick and Easy, Quinoa, Salads, Sides, Toasting, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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There are so many things that this salad can be. It can be vegan, paleo, low-carb, gluten-free, high-protein… It all depends on what you add to it.

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I made some baguettes a few weeks ago that I wasn’t thrilled with. They’re prefect for croutons though. If you prefer to avoid bread, quinoa or tofu would be great bread replacers. Or, if you’re eating gluten-free, your best gluten-free bread will be just perfect.

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To make up the bulk of this salad, I opened this week’s Abundant Harvest Organics box then pulled a few things from the produce drawer. But this is where there are so many ways you can make this salad your own.

Beyond tons of veggie options, here are a few ways you could adapt this dish:

Protein a Plenty: Add beans, quinoa (instead of or alongside the bread), tofu, hard boiled eggs, meat (tuna, beef, chicken, turkey, pork), nuts, cheese.

Paleo: Add eggs, meat, and nuts instead of the bread.

Vegan: Leave as is, or add quinoa or tofu.

Gluten-Free: Use your favorite gluten-free bread, or swap out the bread for quinoa.

All the Veggies: I used nopales, onion, carrot, green beans, radish, and summer squash. You could also add: snap peas, greens, tomatoes, bell peppers, corn, eggplant, cucumber… or any other veggies that are in season and you think would taste great.

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I love the combination of a really good quality olive oil like Bari’s along with balsamic vinegar. But, a mixture of red wine vinegar and lemon juice, or balsamic and lemon juice would also be great. Customize it to make it your own!

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Riiiiiight before serving add the bread. Or to really avoid soggy bread, put the bread on the plate and top it with salad, letting the dressing soak in slowly. The lesson I learned today: only add as much bread as you’re going to eat. The leftovers will get way soggy (#freetofail).

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This is one of my favorite ways to welcome summer. But, come fall or winter, just trade the summer veggies for some roasted winter ones and you’ve got a winner all year round.

Happy Eating!

Customizable Panzanella Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4

Customizable Panzanella Salad

Ingredients

  • 3-4 C stale bread (any kind - or could sub 2-3 C quinoa or tofu), cubed
  • 1 t olive oil
  • to taste salt
  • to taste pepper
  • 1/4 to 1/2 C balsamic or red wine vinegar (or half vinegar half lemon juice)*
  • 1 1/2 t dijon mustard
  • pinch cayenne (optional)
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced
  • to taste salt
  • to taste pepper
  • 2 T to 1/4 C olive oil*
  • 3-4 T fresh herbs (basil, parsley, chives, oregano, thyme), chopped
  • 4-6 C any of the following (cubed, chopped, grated, or torn): summer squash, nopales, snap peas, green beans, greens, radishes, tomatoes, bell peppers, corn, eggplant, cucumbers, red onions, nuts, hard boiled eggs, nuts, chicken, beef, tuna, pork, mozzarella, parmesan, cannellini beans, garbonzo beans)

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F. Toss bread with 1 t olive oil, salt, and pepper, Place on a baking sheet, bake for 10 minutes, flip, and bake for about 5 minutes more (or until they're golden and toasty).
  2. Whisk balsamic vinegar through pepper. Stream in oil as you whisk. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
  3. Toss salad contents (except bread, if using quinoa or tofu, add it now) with dressing. Add bread just before serving.
http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/customizable-panzanella-salad/

Thursday

21

May 2015

0

COMMENTS

Roasted Stone Fruit with Bulgur and Fennel

Written by , Posted in Dairy-Free, Dinner, Fruit, Grains, Main Dishes, Nuts, Quick and Easy, Quinoa, Rice, Roasting, Sides, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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Complain as I will about summer – the heat, the heat, the heat, I love the fruits and veggies that it brings. I’m silly for squash (more about that next week), crazy for cherries, and wacko for watermelon. Not to mention sweet corn… be still my heart. And oh the stone fruit… Standing over the sink, eating the most perfectly ripe peach, juice dripping down my arms. That’s just heavenly.

Try as I might, stone fruit doesn’t last long in our home. It’s just too easy to grab one, give it a quick scrub, and have a delicious snack. So in order to have any left for this savory take, I had to make it as soon as the box got home.

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This week it was nectarines in our Abundant Harvest Organics box, but apricots, apriums, or peaches would work great too. I sliced them about 1/4″ thick, tossed them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roasted them for a few minutes.

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While the nectarines hung out in the oven, I sautéed some onions and fennel. A few minutes later I added the bulgur wheat and let it get a bit toasty before I added some veggie stock. If you wanted to keep this dish gluten-free, quinoa, brown rice, or barley would be great instead of the bulgur wheat.

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Once the fruit was roasted, flipped once, and roasted for a bit longer, it joined the party in the bulgur pan.

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Added to it was some saffron, cayenne, and ginger.

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Top it with a little lemon juice, some chopped nuts, and you’ve got dinner.

It’s great on its own, but would be fabulous served with some crispy fried tofu, or a roasted chicken, along with a salad of arugula, red onions, sliced stone fruit, and chopped nuts.

Happy Eating!

Roasted Stone Fruit with Bulgur and Fennel

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 2-3 as a main dish, 3-4 as a side dish

Roasted Stone Fruit with Bulgur and Fennel

Ingredients

  • 2 C firm stone fruit (apricots, nectarines, apriums, or peaches), sliced 1/4" thick
  • to taste salt
  • to taste pepper
  • 1 t olive oil
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 C onion, chopped
  • 1/3 C fennel, chopped
  • to taste salt
  • to taste pepper
  • 1 C bulgur wheat (or quinoa, brown rice, or barley)
  • 2 C vegetable stock (or water)
  • pinch saffron (optional)
  • pinch ginger
  • to taste salt
  • to taste pepper
  • pinch cayenne
  • 1 T plus 2 t lemon juice
  • 1/2 C nuts (almonds or pistachios), roughly chopped

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
  2. Toss stone fruit with salt, pepper, and 1 t olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and roast for about 7 minutes, flip, then about 7-8 minutes more (or until fruit is lightly browned).
  3. While fruit cooks, heat a medium sized sauce pan over medium or medium-low heat. Add 1 T olive oil. When oil is hot, add onion, fennel, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add bulgur and cook for 1 minute more. Add stock, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 7-8 minutes (or until bulgur is cooked).
  4. Add stone fruit through lemon juice to bulgur mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Cool for about 10 minutes, then serve topped with nuts.
http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/roasted-stone-fruit-with-bulgur-and-fennel/

Friday

8

May 2015

0

COMMENTS

Whole Wheat Parsnip Cookies

Written by , Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Cookies, Dessert, Eggs, Fruit, Grains, Kid-Friendly, Quick and Easy, Snacks, Vegetarian

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I’m not much of a baker. It’s just not something that comes naturally to me. With baking it’s important to follow the recipe. There’s a reason that each ingredient is there. I can’t just add what I have on hand and substitute something if I feel like it. Because it’s all science.

I was never great at science in school. I do wonder if I might have done a little better if there had been experiments that involved cooking. You know, let us make cookies with whatever we wanted to. See what works and what doesn’t. Then learn about why. Since that class wasn’t offered at my school, I’m learning now, slowly…ParsnipCookies-1

I think that my first substitution attempt when baking might have been when I figured that using the same amount of honey in place of granulated sugar would be fine. Wrong. I ended up with a burned outside and still liquid inside banana bread. That was disappointing. But, I learned from my mistake. Freedom to fail.

So this time I played it safe. I figured out what I thought would make up a good cookie. I think I know what the dough should be like, so it seemed like a good place to start.

I still wasn’t expecting them to turn out, but I was gonna do my best.

I wanted to incorporate parsnips. Parsnips are wonderful when roasted and dipped into a creamy sauce. But, what about something sweet, almost like what you’d do with carrots in a carrot cake? I figured it was worth a try.

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I don’t make very many cookies. I’m just not a sweets person. But, I think normally recipes will have you cream the butter and sugar together. I went for more of a scone technique, where the butter was cold and added to the already combined dry ingredients.

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The parsnips, apple, and some lemon zest were added to the butter-flour mixture. I figured they might do well when coated with flour. And then once the wet ingredients were whisked together, they were added too. To make what looked like cookie batter to me!

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When I used to make cookies with my mom as a kid, we’d use two spoons to scoop the dough out. You could also just use your hands and roll a ball of dough between your palms. Whatever works. The spoons keep the hands clean and you don’t waste the batter that covers them.

I like fluffy, puffy, soft cookies over thin crispy ones. So I didn’t press them down.

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I thought about trying to make these vegan, but decided against it since making a cookie recipe was already enough of a risk. But, here are some ways that you could adapt it, if you wanted to (at your own risk 😉 ).

Carrots or summer squash instead of parsnips.

Orange zest instead of lemon zest.

Coconut oil instead of butter (treat it the same way – make sure it’s cold, then work very quickly).

Flax seeds and water instead of egg.

Maple syrup instead of honey.

Just keep in mind that it’s science and your changes may result in cookies slightly different from mine. But, we’re free to fail, free to learn from our mistakes, free to keep on trying. If I’d stopped at ruined banana bread, I’d never have known the loveliness of these cookies. They may be my new favorite. Not too sweet, super soft, and made with whole wheat flour and honey, so I feel fine about the three that I’ve eaten this afternoon.

Happy Eating!

Whole Wheat Parsnip Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 27 minutes

Yield: 19-20 cookies

Whole Wheat Parsnip Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 C whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 1/2 t baking powder, sifted
  • 1/2 t baking soda, sifted
  • 1/4 t cinnamon
  • pinch all spice
  • pinch nutmeg
  • 1 C oats
  • 1 t lemon zest (or orange zest), chopped
  • 1/3 C apples, grated and chopped
  • 1 C parsnips (or carrots or summer squash), grated, and chopped
  • 1/2 C butter, cold, cut into small chunks
  • 1/2 C honey
  • 1 egg
  • 1 t apple cider vinegar
  • 1 t vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or silpat mats).
  2. Whisk together flour through nutmeg. Mix in butter with a pastry blender or hands until pea sized chunks remain. Stir in oats, lemon zest, apples, and parsnips.
  3. In a separate bowl whisk together honey through vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and stir to combine.
  4. Scoop batter using two tablespoons, or hands and drop onto prepared baking sheets (do not flatten). Bake for 12 minutes, or until cookies are mostly set and golden around the edges (they will keep cooking for a bit as they cool). Cool on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes before serving.
http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/whole-wheat-parsnip-cookies/