Tag Archives: cream

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Delightful Creamy Side Dish is a Winner!

1 Comment

I think turnips are making a comeback. More and more, I’m seeing them used on cooking shows and in new and exciting ways. I started using them several years ago as a potato substitute, then as an alternate to rice. They are best when used fresh, but they do keep for several weeks in the refrigerator. If they have greens attached, remove them before you store them. They tend to get a fibrous layer the longer they sit. Peel the turnips and cut this layer off if you encounter it.

Parsnips are also being used more often. They are a little higher in carbs than turnips, but with the turnips, they are still much lower than an equal amount of potatoes.

This dish is my own recipe, and it is absolutely delicious. I made a much larger version to take to a potluck dinner, but it sat too long in the crockpot and the cream separated. So, if you think about doing that, cook it right before you go and just keep it warm in the pot until served. It still tasted good, but not as pretty. The little bit of sugar in it sweetens the turnips and masks any bitterness.

The recipe makes about three servings. You can easily double it to make six. To make this vegetarian, omit the bacon and swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth or just use water. The broth adds a little more flavor, but isn’t required. For the low carb flour, you can use Carbquik, DCC All Purpose Flour, or possibly coconut flour. I haven’t tried it with coconut flour, but since it absorbs liquid, you would only need 1/2 tablespoon to make the paste. If it is too thick, add a little water.

Turnips and Parsnips with Bacon and Cream Sauce

Rene’s recipe

1 7″ Parsnip, peeled and sliced
1 medium Turnip, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup Green Onions
1/4 cup Bacon pieces (about 2 slices)
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon Butter
1 tablespoon Low Carb Flour
2 tablespoon Chicken Broth
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 teaspoon Sugar Substitute
2 teaspoons Garlic and Herb Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste (optional)

Cook 2 slices of bacon and break into pieces or use precooked bacon.

Put the parsnips and turnips in a pan of boiling water and cook for about 15 minutes until they are fork tender. Or put them in a microwaveable bowl and cook for two minutes on high.

In a medium-sized skillet, melt butter and stir in low carb flour to form a paste. Add heavy cream and chicken broth and stir until it begins to thicken.  Add seasonings and sugar substitute, then add in parsnips and turnips. Cook for about 15 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Add bacon pieces and stir a few minutes until heated. Then add green onions and Parmesan cheese. Cook another minute or two to melt the cheese.

Serves 3.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:
Calories 234 , Total Fat 17g , Cholesterol 65mg, Sodium 776mg, Potassium 201mg, Carbohydrates 8.5g, Fiber 2.5g, Sugars 3.3g, Protein 13g, Net Carbs 6.0g

If you make this, please let me know how you liked it.

Note: Nutrition information is based on the ingredients I used in this recipe and my measurements. Although they are a close calculation, your results may be slightly higher or lower. Ingredient substitutions may affect the carb count. Different brands may have other carb counts.

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Simple but yummy dinner of Garlic Chicken with Parmesan

Photo: Garlic Chicken Parmesan with Turnips

Right now, it’s a difficult time to find any food, let alone low carb food, but we just do the best we can. I’m down to my last turnip that I used for this dish, but I hope to get more next week in my groceries. I was surprised that my store didn’t have any as turnips aren’t nearly as popular as potatoes. So, fingers are crossed. We were lucky enough to get chicken, so that was a big plus. I hope your supermarket foraging is doing okay.

Don’t stress if you can’t manage a low carb meal. Right now, any food is welcome, and the main objective is to stay healthy. We can worry about low carb when we’ve made it through.

If you have chicken, pork, rabbit, or even white fish in the house, this recipe will work well with it. Cream is a plus, but you can also substitute in regular milk or canned milk. Don’t have turnips or don’t like them? Substitute in riced cauliflower or even use regular rice, which is what the original recipe from 12 Tomatoes uses. You can also cut the chicken into cubes if you wish. The recipe called for 1 teaspoon of thyme and 1/2 teaspoon of rosemary, which I didn’t have in the house. So I substituted in Mrs. Dash Italian Seasoning. You can go either way with it.

Garlic Chicken with Parmesan and Riced Turnips

2 large Chicken Breasts, sliced across the middle horizontally
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup Onion, diced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
1 cups Chicken Broth
1 cup riced Turnips (about 1 medium)
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat and melt the butter. Add the onion, stir and cook about 3 minutes. Sprinkle half the seasoning onto the chicken pieces and put them into the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then turn the pieces and season the other halves. Cook another 3 to 4 minutes, then add garlic and cook a little longer.

Next, add chicken broth and the riced turnips. Stir to mix them into the pan around the chicken. Let the mixture come to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover.

Let simmer until the turnips are tender. Add salt and pepper and about 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese. Stir together, then remove from the heat. Add cream along with the rest of the Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.

Makes 2 to 4 servings depending on how hungry you are and your side dishes. For us, 1/2 chicken breast is enough, but for others, you may want the whole breast.

Nutrition Info for Garlic Chicken with Parmesan