dinner on a night when we trim the tree

Traditionally, Conrad and I trick a few friends into helping decorate the tree by using an offer of a free lunch. Not this year. Our schedule is so far off thanks to travel that it was just the two of us taking care of it today. Adding to the task was deciding which ornaments to send up to Vancouver for use on the tree that we plan to ship up there. Our afternoon was busy, but with that, some cookies baked, parcels mailed off, and another dozen cards written, we've had a fairly accomplished day.

So what to make for dinner? Nothing too difficult. We had thought we might go to Yoshi's, but with all that we needed to do at home, that wasn't in the cards. Instead, I roasted a pork tenderloin and served it atop braised cabbage (not done with sugar or vinegar, just some chicken broth, butter, thyme, salt, pepper, and some onion). The other vegetable was a winter treat: parsnips.

No, don't roll your eyes. Parsnips are a treat, truly. I've been pureeing them with leeks lately, but I'm tired of purees. I wanted something a bit more special, so I dug around on the cookbook shelf for a recipe and found a good one in a book Jeph gave me earlier this year (thanks Jeph!): balsamic glazed parsnips.

I modified the recipe some, playing with amounts and cutting the parsnips differently. In the end, though, I was pleased with how they turned out. Caramelized, sweet, a tang from the vinegar, an edge of salt from the soy sauce. I'll have to keep this recipe in mind for the future, and I'll have to browse the book further. Best of all, I have some leftovers for lunch tomorrow - YAY!