Glazed Rutabagas and Carrots

I made this for dinner one night last week, and as odd as this may sound, I can't get enough of it. Like, I have eaten it for breakfast nearly every day since, can't get enough of it. Perhaps I had been experiencing some sort of weird rutabaga shortage in my system.

Well, whatever the reason, I am still loving this recipe. It would make a great side dish with just about anything, or even a nice salad course on top of either spinach, or as in the picture, sunflower sprouts. (Or if you're weird like me, you can have it for breakfast!)

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Glazed Rutabagas and Carrots

2 Small Rutabagas, peeled and cut into 'sticks' (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 Cup Baby Carrots, or larger carrots cut into 'sticks'
1/2 Cup Water (more as needed)

Glaze Option #1

2-3 tsp Brown Sugar
2-3 tsp Butter

Glaze Option #2

1 Tbsp Apricot Preserves
Squeeze of Fresh Lemon Juice


Sunflower Sprouts or Baby Spinach for serving (Optional)

Put the rutabagas, carrots, and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When the water boils, reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are soft, 10-15 minutes. If the pot gets too dry, add more water.

When the vegetables are done there should be just a little bit of water left. If there is a lot, go ahead and raise the heat a bit to boil it off.

For option #1:

With just a little bit of water left in the pot, add in the brown sugar and butter. Continue cooking over low heat until a glaze has formed on the vegetables.

For option #2

With just a little bit of water left in the pot, add in the apricot preserves and stir to coat. Squeeze in a bit of lemon juice and cook about one more minute.



If desired, serve over a bed of sunflower sprouts or baby spinach. The heat from the rutabagas and carrots will wilt the greens.


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Rutabaga and Carrot Puree

Wow, this was surprisingly good! I really, really loved it. Rutabagas are a relatively new addition to my repertoire, and this is the first recipe I've tried that turned out really great. The original recipe is from Gourmet Magazine. The main changes I made were to cut the sugar way down (The original recipe called for 3 packed Tbsp of brown sugar!), and the addition of the half and half.

Rutabaga and Carrot Puree

1 1/2 lb Rutabagas
3 Carrots
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp (or more to taste) Brown Sugar
1-2 Tbsp Butter
2-3 Tbsp Half and Half
Pinch Nutmeg

Peel the rutabagas and cut them into one-inch pieces. Use knife to peel them: Slice off the top and the bottom. Stand the rutabaga on a cutting board and use your knife to peel the skin away. Be sure to get it all, the skins are rather thick.
Cut the carrots into one-inch pieces and add to a pot with the rutabagas. Fill the pot to cover the vegetables by one inch with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a food processor with a slotted spoon. Add the butter, nutmeg, salt, and brown sugar and process until smooth. Add enough half and half to get the consistency you like. Return it to the pot and re-heat if needed.