Mashed Rutabaga

No idea what rutabaga is? Neither did I until we saw this huge-ass turnip looking vegetables at our local farmers market and figured we would give them a try after being told they were much sweeter and milder than their bitter root cousins. The vegetable itself is extremely versatile, put it in soups and stews if you wish (even it's large leafy green tops can be used) but we wanted to mash it up as it's much lower in carbohydrates than potatoes and adds some more flavor, color and texture than a mashed potato would to this nutritious side dish. Rutabaga is high in calcium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins B-6 and C. If you loved mashed potatoes but want to switch it up and try something new, give rutabaga a try!!

Ingredients:

1-2 large rutabagas
unflavored non-dairy milk, such as almond
coconut oil
sea salt to taste
fresh dill or parsley (optional)
nutritional yeast (optional)

Directions:

Cut your rutabagas into cubes or smaller pieces and cook in a large pot filled with water just above the surface of the rutabaga chunks until they are soft when stabbed with a fork.

Drain from pot, and either blend rutabaga in a food processor or mash by hand in medium sized bowl, while mixing in some milk until desired creamy consistency is reached.  Add in some coconut oil to taste (2-3 tablespoons should do) depending on how "buttery" you want it to be, and add sea salt to taste also. Add some fresh herbs or nutritional yeast if you so desire (they add some stupendous flavors, but it all depends on your personal preference- some prefer the rutabaga flavor by itself!)

Serve when cooled and enjoy!