Our 2 1/2 year old has a fascination with farms, particularly cows.  He says the word "cows" many, many times each day.  So, we headed out to a local'ish farm recently, which is where this recipe was inspired with a little bit of seasonal New England food.

While at the farm, I picked up some parsnips and spinach.  The only way I've eaten parsnips growing up was boiled and mashed in potatoes.  Many of the boiled type dinners I had consisted of a mashed potato and veg.  Parsnips or turnips would often be part of that mash.  I wasn't a fan.  I might get messages from some cousins on this one.  I can't help it- it just wasn't my thing. It turns out that parsnips are crisp, sweet and delicious roasted with a little bit of olive oil and sea salt.  Super simple.  Then I paired them with this tangy, blender made dressing that has orange, ginger and it gets its creamy texture from a couple of tablespoons of tahini. The flavor combination works well.  So let's get cooking this together.

Ingredients
-3-5 parsnips peeled and chopped
-olive oil drizzle
-sea salt
-spinach or other spring greens

For the dressing:
-1/2 cup sesame oil
-3 oranges juiced
-zest of 1 orange
-approx. 2 1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped (you can use more or less depending upon how much ginger zing you would like)
-2 TBS tahini
-salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking tray with cooking spray.  Peel and chop the parsnips and arrange in a single layer on the tray.  Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle sea salt.  Roast at 400 degrees for approximately 30 minutes.  Give them a little stir about 15-20 minutes into the roasting time.

While the parsnips cook, add the sesame oil, orange juice, orange zest, ginger, tahini and salt/pepper to a high speed blender or food processor.  Blend until all combined.  

Once the parsnips are finished roasting, serve them on a plate of spring salad greens, drizzle on the dressing and enjoy!

My father always loved curry. I'm not sure if it's an Irish take out thing, but he always asked for curried chips (AKA french fries) whenever we ordered out. My mom would often make a curry with whatever vegetables were around and I fell in love with Trader Joe's curry sauces once I was out living on my own and responsible to feed myself. It's one of the things I stock up on whenever I have the opportunity to get to a Trader Joe's.

I have absolutely no Indian cooking instruction or cookbooks and I may even be using the word "curry" loosely, but I love this recipe.  I don't know that apples are traditionally put in a curry but I love the warm sweetness that they add to the dish and you'll learn quickly that I love apples in savory dishes.  This meal is so simple and can be put together with items in the pantry.  The fanciest ingredient I use here is some fresh cilantro for a garnish, which adds a nice cool flavor but it totally optional. I find this dish to be a warming, nutritious, tasty and a budget friendly meal that is a great fit for a cold, winter night. Annnd...you throw it in the crock pot and the crock pot takes care of the rest.  Hooray!

So here's what you'll need to get going:

Ingredients
-1/2 onion- chopped
-1 apple - peeled and chopped
-2 TBS olive oil
-2 medium sweet potatoes- peeled and chopped into chunks
-1 can of coconut milk
1 TBS curry powder
-1 tsp tumeric
-1/2 tsp ground coriander
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions
Heat a skillet to medium heat and add the 2 TBS olive oil.  Add the chopped onion and stir fry for approximately 2 minutes when it begins to soften.  Add the apple and continue to cook with the onion for 3-5 minutes.  Put the onion, apples and sweet potatoes in the crock pot.  Pour in the entire can of coconut milk.  Add the curry powder, tumeric, coriander, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Stir loosely to combine.  This kind of looks like a hot mess at this point but trust the process.  Cook in the crock pot on high for 3 1/2 hours and give it an occasional stir once in a while.  Serve warm over rice, cauliflower rice or with a piece of warm naan bread.

I get this dish cooked up and use for lunch for a few days in a row.  Easy peasy!

Enjoy!