Recipe: Roasted Parsnips with Dark Chocolate Dust
A small amount of very dark chocolate will go a long way to provide complex flavor, healthy fat, and antioxidants in this unusual twist on a classic roasted root vegetable. Serves 4.
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1 pound parsnips
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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1/8 teaspoon sea salt
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1/8 ounce, about 1 square, of the darkest chocolate you can find (70% or higher) or 2 whole cacao beans (available from some specialty grocers or online)
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1 tablespoon of fresh marjoram leaves (optional)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Wash parsnips well and scrub off any tough fibers. Cut off tops and quarter lengthwise. If you have an especially large parsnip, try cutting it into sixths, so that all parsnip pieces are the same general thickness.
Be sure that parsnips are well dried, then toss them in olive oil and salt and spread out in a single layer on abaking sheet. Roast until tender and slightly browned, about 20 minutes, tossing halfway through.
Remove from oven, arrange on a plate, and dust with chocolate by grating chocolate with a microplane or a very fine cheese grater. Garnish with marjoram leaves (optional) and serve warm.