How to Cook a Rutabaga

How to Cook a Rutabaga How to Cook a Rutabaga The rutabaga is a very healthy root vegetable. Many people often perceive it as a cross between turnip and cabbage. No matter where it originated from, rutabaga certainly adds lots of nourishment to one’s daily diet. Since this vegetable tastes really good, one can even cook rutabaga for the young kids who usually are fussy about certain veggies. In this article we shall learn about the various methods in which rutabaga can be cooked. However we shall begin with the basic preparation of this root vegetable and then proceed onto other recipes involving it.

Have a look at the following points that can help you in understanding the basic preparation method of rutabaga:

You shall have to begin by preparing the vegetable first. This has to be done by washing the rutabaga under cold running water. Make sure that you wash it for about 5 minutes. Now dry off the vegetable by using paper towels. You shall now have to place the rutabaga inside the microwave and cook for about 5 minutes. This will make its skin soft and easier to remove. Peel off the skin of the rutabaga and then cut it into half. Those halves are again supposed to be cut into halves. In short, the rutabaga must be chopped into big chunks.
These rutabaga chunks can either be cooked or stored in the freezer for future use.

Let us have a look at some of the recipes that involve rutabaga.

Mashed Peppered Rutabaga

Use a saucepan and boil in it some water. To this water add some salt to taste and allow it to boil. After the salted water starts boiling, add the chunks of rutabaga to it and cook it for about half an hour till they become soft. Cover the saucepan while the rutabaga gets cooked. Drain out the water after the rutabaga is cooked properly and then place the saucepan back on low flame for about 30 seconds till the remaining water completely dries off. Mash the rutabaga chunks nicely by using a potato masher and add some sour cream, salt and pepper. You can choose to add cheese also.

2. Rutabaga Sweet Potato Puree

Begin by peeling the rutabagas and then cut them into small cubes. Take a saucepan of boiling salt water and add to it the cubes of rutabaga and cook them covered for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, add some sweet potatoes and garlic to the saucepan and start cooking again till they become soft. Drain out all the water from the saucepan but save around ¼ cup of it for later use. Use a blender and puree in it the rutabaga mixture along with butter, salt, pepper, mustard and the ¼ cup of cooking water.

3. Golden Rutabaga Casserole

Take an orange and remove its rind. Cut the orange rind into strips and also chop the orange after removing its white pith. Take a saucepan and add some water in it. Add to the saucepan some carrots, rutabaga, apricots, butter, maple syrup, salt, pepper and also the orange rind and chopped orange. Allow the contents of the saucepan to cook properly for about 40 minutes until all the water evaporates and the veggies turn soft. Use a blender and blend in it the cooked mixture along with sour cream, cinnamon and nutmeg.