Baked Turnip Fries

I've always firmly believed that food can heal almost anything.  While Bret was recovering from his surgery, I wanted to cook food that would make him feel good both physically and emotionally.  During the first few days of recovery, Bret couldn't really taste anything at all.  Even though he could only eat really soft foods that didn't require a lot of chewing, Bret told me he was craving texture.  I decided to make something that would feel like an indulgent comfort food but still be healthy, which is how I settled on Everyday Food's recipe for Roasted Turnips with Parmesan. 

I started out with about two pounds of turnips.  I tried to pick turnips that would slice well into a fry shape.

I then gathered the rest of my ingredients:

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (the original recipe calls for 1/8 teaspoon)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

I lined a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and gave it a quick spray of cooking spray.  I also pre-heated the oven to 475 degrees.

I scrubbed, dried, peeled and sliced the turnips into fries.

I then added the cayenne pepper, ground nutmeg, olive oil, salt and pepper to the turnips and gave everything a toss.  I then arranged the turnips in a single layer on the baking sheet.

I then sprinkled the Parmesan cheese on top.

I baked the turnip fries on the top shelf of the oven for ten minutes before flipping the fries over and finishing baking them for another fifteen minutes.

The turnip fries were crispy outside and soft inside.  I served the baked turnip fries with ketchup and Trader Joe's sweet chili sauce. 

Bret and I snacked on these fries all afternoon.  Bret loved the crispy exterior texture contrasted with the soft inside of the turnip fries. 

While he couldn't appreciate the flavor fully, I loved the subtle turnip flavor, which went nicely with the sharp Parmesan cheese and really made these fries stand out.

What is your favorite comfort food when you're on the mend?