~Strange Veggie? Im all over that!~

Remember that strange veggie i showed you all in my last post? See that mushy yellow stuff up there next to the delish french onion roast and green beans and asparagus? Thats the strange veggie i showed you! Looks strange still doesnt it? Well like the saying goes "Dont judge a book by its cover!" That strange veggie is a rutabaga! Funny name? YUP! I often say it over and over and over again just cuz it sounds funny :P LOL Yup thats how i roll baby! Anyway you have heard me use this before remember that tasty soup i shared with you all? You know "the best soup i eva made" Well this time instead of keeping them in chunks we went for "mashed" rutabaga! Now my son does not enjoy potatoes...at all..he will "eat" them...but he does NOT enjoy them so he tells me LOL, but anyway he had mashed rutabaga for the first time a couple of wks ago over at Angie's during our weekly dinner and games on our usual friday nite! I did not attened that evening as it was when i was stuck in bed trying to die? *shrug* But the report from Hubby was that "Loche ate that stuff first before he touched his meat on his plate?!?" Now thats impressive for him cuz he loves his meat... Im not sure exactly how she prepared it other than it was mashed! So i decided while my french onion roast was simmering away i would do something different other then mashed potatoes to go with it!

Dont bother "washing" it before you peel and cut this sucker up....It is coated in wax it feels weird....and its kinda sucky to peel!

OH and these things are TOUGH to cut....This is my really long expensive knife....STUCK in the rutabaga..LOL nothing a lil counter bashing didnt help get it unstuck!

Take that mista rutabaga! Ima show u who's boss! So yes cut it peel it and then hunk n chunk it into bit sizes just cuz its easier to cook and mash when said and done...

Now wash it :) then i tossed it into a smallish pot

Threw in half a leek thinly sliced a tablespoon of garlic some salt and pepper and enough homemade chicken stock to almost cover the cubes...i leave the lid of the pot off till it starts boiling then i place the lid on and countine to boil. I check every once in awhile to see how the cubes are cooking when they are almost tender enough but still alittle firm i leave the lid off and turn it down to medium and let continue to cook with the lid off so that he stock cooks down (no one wants runny mashed anything!)

Once tender and ready for mashing i turn the heat off and let them sit for a few mins, then i start mashing them :) Now this is suprisingly sweet so taste it to see if ou need or even want to add more salt...I didnt as i added it b4 i started boiling them! I added about 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream to help thicken them up and give them a lil more "fluff"

And taadaaa! This is what that strange veggie turned out to be after a lil make over by me :D Just like at Angie's, this was the first thing Loche ate he made quick work of it numming away while enjoying every bite! And he had seconds of this which i didnt mind at all as Rutabaga's are pretty good for you! Click HERE to find out how good they are for you! Oh and if your wondering what a rutabaga taste like....My guys say it tastes almost like when you bite into sweet corn! I however do not agree with them LOL i think it has a taste of its own its a lil sweet but tart n tangy at the same time! Depends how you cook it!

I will post the recipe for the french onion roast and creamy balsalmic green beans and asparagus on a different post :)