Red Wine Braised Roots

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place wine in a small saucepan and heat until steaming. Remove from the heat, add dried mushrooms and let stand while you prepare the vegetables.
3. If using carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces. If using parsnips, quarter lengthwise and remove the woody core, then cut into 3-inch pieces. Cut any round roots (beets, turnips, rutabaga and/or celeriac) into 1-inch-wide wedges.
4. Place the roots, white mushrooms and onions in a large (12 -by-15 inch) roasting pan.
5. Line a sieve with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and place over a measuring cup or small bowl. Strain the wine-mushroom mixture through the sieve, reserving the wine.
6. Coarsely chop the mushrooms and whisk them into the wine along with thyme, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Pour over the vegetables; add broth and bay leaves. Cover the roasting pan with foil.
7. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and continuing baking, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes more. Discard bay leaves.

Tips

Beets, carrots and parsnips are easily peeled with a vegetable peeler, but for tougher-skinned roots like celeriac, rutabaga and turnips, removing the peel with a knife can be easier. Cut off one end of the root to create a flat surface to keep it steady on the cutting board. Follow the contour of the vegetable with your knife. If you use a vegetable peeler on the tougher roots, peel around each vegetable at least three times to ensure all the fibrous skin has been removed.

Shopping tip: Mushroom broth can be found in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets and in natural-foods stores.

To Make Ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Reheat slowly in the oven or on the stovetop.

Per serving: 151 calories; 1 g fat (0 g saturated fat, 0 g mono unsaturated fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 7 g fiber; 694 mg sodium; 870 mg potassium

Nutrtion Bonus: Vitamin A (190% daily value), Vitamin C (60% dv), Folate & Potassium (25% dv).

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 2 1/2 vegetable

Contributed by: EatingWell.com

Braised root vegetables, rich with red wine, mushrooms and thyme, make a fabulous vegetarian entree or side dish. Enjoy alongside roast chicken or turkey. If you’re serving it as an entree, be sure to have plenty of whole-grain bread to soak up the sauce.