Comfort food: Ginger and parsnip pudding (GF, DF, vegan option)
Parsnip probably wouldn’t be the first choice for most of us in a pudding…
Yet even people who don’t like parsnips seem to like this pudding. Parsnips add sweetness, but beyond that are undetectable (they get blitzed in the prep). It’s a way of eating with the season and using a natural source of sugar, as well as adding protein and fibre to help balance our blood sugar levels.
Ultimately, we want to eat natural, minimally processed whole foods as much as possible (to support our gut microbiomes and increase immune tolerance and resilience), so using parsnips helps us to do this.
One of the benefits of making our own treats is that we have control over the sugar content. Sweetness is a relative concept based on what we are used to. Consider gradually reducing the amount of sugar when you bake and you are unlikely to notice any change. Reducing sugar intake helps to reduce inflammation and the risk of autoimmune flares.
You can find out more about how to use diet to help your autoimmune condition here.
Lastly, if you are avoiding gluten, you can either use a ready made gluten free flour such as Dove’s. Or you can try to make your own blend, which will be less processed and better for the gut. Try combining one part millet flour, one part sorghum, buckwheat or white teff flour, and two parts tapioca starch.
Ginger and parsnip pudding
Feeds 4, 20 mins prep + 30 mins baking
Ingredients
2 parsnips
50g chopped dates or sultanas
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground ginger
80g light brown sugar
2 eggs (or soak 2 tbsp chia seeds in 100ml water for 15 mins)
2 pears
200g gluten-free self-raising flour (eg Dove’s)
80g soft vegan butter (eg Naturli block - look for one that is around 80% fat)
250ml water
Method
Heat your oven to 180 degrees. Line a 20cm square baking tin with baking paper.
Peel and grate the parsnips. Add to a saucepan with 250ml cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from the heat and add the dates/sultanas, bicarb of soda, and the ginger. Leave to steep for 15 minutes.
Put the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl and beat together until fluffy. Beat in the eggs or chia eggs.
Cut each pear into wedges.
Tip the parsnip mixture into a blender and blitz to a puree. Transfer to the bowl with the sugar and egg mixture. Mix together. Sift in the flour and gently fold until no dry parts remain.
Scrape the mixture into a baking tin and level with the back of a spoon. Arrange the pears evenly on top. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 mins or until a skewer or knife comes out cleanly.
This recipe is part of the Comfort Food series.