Serves 4
REMEMBER all those days you spent eating McDonald’s fries? Oh boy, I do. It wasn’t all that often, but when I did get them, I was in heaven. Those days are long gone, but fries do not have to be a thing of the past. Parsnip fries are a little weird and totally wonderful. They came about when I was craving French fries and wanted a better alternative. I looked in my fridge, saw some parsnips, and this is what came of it: crunchy, lightly sweet, yet nutty fries. They are delicious by themselves, and can be a complete meal because the sunflower butter adds healthy fat and protein.
2 or 3 medium parsnips
3 tablespoons sunflower butter (you could also use almond butter if you tolerate it)
2 teaspoons olive oil
2½ tablespoons sesame seeds
½ teaspoon Himalayan salt
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
To clean the parsnips, peel the outer layer like a carrot. Cut the parsnips into long thin strips like French fries. In a large bowl, combine the sunflower butter, oil, sesame seeds, and salt. Add the parsnips and mix with a spoon or your hands to coat the strips.
Place on the lined baking sheet and bake until crispy and brown, 35 to 50 minutes, flipping the fries about halfway through cooking.