Turnip

This vegan root vegetable stew with peanut sauce is perfect for entertaining.

Crisp the vegetables up after they've had a chance to soak up the marinade—or don't, they’re delicious at room temperature, or even served cold.

Any root veg you have on hand will work for this easy dinner. Serve with eggs, fish, chicken, burgers, salads, or use it as a taco or quesadilla filling.

Maple syrup and warm, fall spices add a touch of sweetness to easy roasted veggies.

Flake baked salmon over roasted turnips and bulgur for a casually chic dish that will make any dinner feel like a party.

First of all, zoodle is a made-up word for vegetables that have been cut to look like noodles. Make this recipe vegetarian by substituting 8 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms in place of the bacon, leaving out the anchovies, and using a vegetable stock or water.

The radicchio delivers nice color, but endive or escarole hearts would be smart substitutions flavorwise.

This dish, featuring many Indian flavors, is a little unusual. Instead of calling for lamb as the base, I use beef, which is not so common in Indian cuisine. But I find it goes very well with the cardamom, cinnamon, and curry leaves that make up the aromatics in the pot. It's a fragrant dish, not spicy-hot, but very flavorful. Since you can make it in advance, it's perfect for when you are having a lot of friends coming over and you want to be able to spend time with them. Like many of the recipes in this book, it will braise while you socialize.

This large galette takes root vegetables to the next level. The creamy leek filling and pastry crust make it substantial enough to accompany a few cocktails, and the presentation is sure to impress.

These small turnips are perfect with duck or roast chicken.

The root vegetables in this dish have a secret umami booster: miso paste. This recipe also offers a delicious way to use those oft-discarded beet and turnip greens. If you can’t find beets or turnips with greens, simply reduce the amount of each vegetable to 1/2 pound.

There's a dish in China called "Happy Family," which consists of various ingredients. Growing up, my mother's version of "Happy Family" was stir-fried colorful, seasonal fresh vegetables. She would encourage my brothers and me to eat more of it so we would be in harmony. Fresh vegetables are quickly stir-fried to retain their snap and color for a vibrant presentation. Any leftovers can be served with warm pasta.

Benefits: Anti-Inflammation + Metabolism + Cleansing As the name would suggest, this soup is perfect to eat in the spring, just when your body is most naturally poised for cleansing. This soup, traditionally eaten in China as a springtime ritual, has natural detoxifying properties, mainly deriving from the watercress. Watercress has natural diuretic properties that help you release excess fluids, which often contain toxins and waste products. Of course, feel free to eat this soup for cleansing any time of year!

Transform plain chicken breasts into a new feast with this succulent take on the pot pie. Make the filling the night before, then get to work on the aromatic herb crust, stuffed with thyme and butter. The pie demands a fair amount of preparation, but efforts will be rewarded with high praise. Halve the measurements for a weeknight dinner for the kids, or make the whole recipe to serve a crowd of eager guests. And feel free to throw in whatever produce you have on hand.

Cookbook author and cooking teacher James Peterson created this recipe exclusively for Epicurious. The repeated caramelization of the vegetables is the secret to the gravy's surprisingly rich flavor. For more of Peterson's gravy-making advice, including how to thicken with a roux and avoid lumps, see our Gravy Primer.

Alain Ducasse— The lobster must of course be alive, its claws firmly closed with elastic bands. After plunging it in boiling water, keep the lid on the cooking pot to avoid splashes.
Paule Neyrat— The flesh of the lobster is particularly low in fat but rich in protein. The vegetables are low in calories but full of vitamins and dressed with a yogurt sauce. This is a luxury dish but one that's really low in fat.

A cross-continental blend of flavors, this dish features a lively sauce that combines European paprika and sake or mirin (rice wine) from Japan. Turnips, popular in both European and Asian cuisines, add fiber, potassium, calcium, and vitamin C. Serve the shrimp over wholewheat pasta or brown rice.

These two members of the cabbage family deliver an interesting twist to standard coleslaw. Both kohlrabi and turnips offer fiber, iron, and vitamin C, and the thick kohlrabi leaves boast a high dose of cancer-fighting phytochemicals.

This recipe relies on the natural gelatin in homemade stock to coat and glaze the vegetables after most of the liquid has reduced. Brown stock thickens to a nice glaze and imparts a rich flavor; butter contributes silkiness. Instead of turnips, you can glaze carrots, rutabagas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, or onions. If you don’t have brown stock (or prefer a vegetarian version), use apple cider instead (the sugars in the cider should cause it to reduce to a syrupy glaze).