It only tastes like you slaved over it.
In an ideal world, your refrigerator is always filled to the point of bursting and you have all the time you need to cook a meal that everyone will love. In reality, however, your refrigerator may be pretty barren, especially towards the end of the week.
And having lots of time? Let’s not even go there. Fortunately, I have a wonderful recipe that requires only a handful of ingredients and a few minutes of preparation time: Root Vegetable Gratin, featuring Canadian Provolone.
What’s especially nice about this recipe, beyond the fact that it’s nutritious and delicious, is that it’s simple to prepare, giving you plenty of time to kick back with a nice glass of wine afterwards. And really, who couldn’t use that at the end of a hard week?
With that in mind, I suggest pairing the dish with a fruity white wine, mainly because it goes so well with root vegetables, which are slightly on the sweet side. Try the 2009 Simonsig Chenin Avec Chêne Chenin Blanc. If you prefer a red, enjoy an easy-drinking bottle of Spy Valley Pinot Noir 2010. You won’t be disappointed!
Here’s to great food and more downtime!
Root Vegetable Gratin
Ingredients:
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 cups (1 litre) potatoes, thinly sliced
2 cups (500 ml) rutabaga, thinly sliced
1 cup (250 ml) parsnips, thinly sliced
1 cup (250 ml) carrots, thinly sliced
1 cup (250 ml) sodium-reduced beef broth
¼ cup (60 ml) fresh parsley, chopped
freshly ground pepper
6 oz (180 g) Canadian Provolone, sliced
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
In a large, oven-safe baking dish or in individual gratin dishes, layer the vegetables, alternating with half the sliced Provolone.
Mix the beef broth with parsley and pepper. Pour into dish(es). Top with remaining cheese and cover with aluminum foil.
Bake in oven 60 minutes, remove foil and continue cooking for another 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and the cheese browned.
Note: For even thinner slices of vegetables, use a mandoline.
Variations: Canadian Cheddar, Mozzarella, Swiss cheese.
