Scrumptious singkamas: Easy-to-prepare recipes for turnip-based dishes

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Turnips are known all over the world as one of the healthiest crops. Apart from being an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin E and manganese, its unique raw taste is also associated with rich calcium content. Turnips are also made of 86 to 90 percent water, making it good defense against dehydration and other toxins in the body.

Looking for unique and healthy ways to incorporate turnip in your dish? Chef MJ Nicasio of Apicius Culinary Arts got all the tastiest turnip recipes in town, whether it’s roasted or baked, fried or sweetened.

Roasted Turnips with Parsley Butter
 

Ingredients:
3 pcs. turnips
½ butter
3 tbsp. garlic, chopped
3 tbsp. parsley, chopped
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Salt

Directions:

Boil water and cook turnips in it for 8 to 10 minutes or until they soften a bit. While boiling, prepare the glaze by combining butter, garlic, parsley, salt and lemon juice. Mix the ingredients thoroughly.

When turnips are done, cut and mark each top with an “x”. Spread the glaze on it. Place them in the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes until the butter melts and becomes brownish in color. Serve.

Cost: P80 serves 3 persons

Baked Turnips with Meat Loaf
 

Ingredients:
Turnips, cut into thin slices
Meat loaf, cut into thin slices
1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsps. onion
4 tbsps. grated cheese
Parsley, chopped
Pepper

Directions:

Start by greasing the bowl with butter. Layer the casserole by placing first the turnip slices as the base, followed by the meat loaf. Repeat this process 5 to 7 more times, making sure turnip slices are on the topmost layer. Once done, distribute onion, pepper and cheese evenly over the top of the casserole. Garnish with chopped parsley. Place it in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese melts. Serve.

Cost: P70 serves 3 persons

Stuffed Turnips
 

Ingredients:
3 to 4 pcs. turnips, cut into cubes
Salt
3 cups leftover rice
½ cup tomatoes, sliced
½ cup carrots, cut into cubes
Spring onions
Pechay

Directions:
Blanch pechay leaves in hot water. Set aside. In a pan, saute onions, tomatoes and carrots. Add the turnip cubes and spring onions once the carrots soften. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in rice and fry it together with the ingredients for 3 minutes.

Wrap about 1 to 1 ½  tablespoons of the mixture in two pechay leaves, then secure with a toothpick. Do this until the mixture is consumed. Serve.

Cost: P60 serves 4 to 5 persons

Turnip Jam
 

Ingredients:
1 to 2 pcs. turnip, cut into cubes
1 tbsp. ginger, chopped
2 tbsps. cinnamon
2 tbsps. vanilla
2 tbsps. butter
2 cups Sugar
¼ cup water
Lemon peel

Directions:

In a butter-greased pan, cook turnips until it turns brownish. Pour in sugar and some water. Add vanilla, lemon peel, ginger and cinnamon to the mixture. Mix the ingredients well for 10 to 15 minutes. Place in a jar and serve together with fresh bread.

Cost: P90 serves 4 persons — Donna Allanigue/CM, GMA News

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Savory sayote: Recipes for healthy sayote-based dishes from ‘Good News’
Recipes for healthy langka dishes by Chef MJ Nicasio
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