Early Fall Beet and Carrot Vegetable Gratin Recipe with Parmesan

– Why gratin is better than Xanax – 

This beet and carrot vegetable gratin recipe is great for those days when the universe has run you over with a Mack Truck, when you want nothing but a blanket of cream and cheese to swaddle you into food coma bliss. There’s a reason we want rich comfort foods when we’re feeling down — fat is nature’s Valium. When you’ve completely stunted the productivity of your adrenal system with a massive amount of fat, it’s difficult to get excited or upset. You just want to lay around on the coach watching reruns of Friends and The Office. And hey, that’s way better than wanting to jump off a bridge or punch someone in the throat, right? Because those things require energy, energy that you will have conveniently diverted to digesting all that cream and cheese.

Funny how that works, eh? And you don’t even need a prescription for gratin.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that the way that an adult feels pain is very different from the way that a child, or adolescent, feels pain. It appears that now, instead of the stabbing feeling in my chest that I felt when I received my first heartbreak, emotions have moved south slightly, to my stomach. No longer is hurt manifested in a huge gaping chest wound, but rather a dull, nagging ache in the pit of my abdomen.

Maybe this would account for the digestive problems that adults experience after their mid 20’s. Lactose intolerance? Nope. That sudden nausea you woke up with isn’t last night’s baked ziti. It’s the fact that your heart seems to have transplanted itself into your large intestine.

I’m fortunate enough to have adopted an optimistic attitude early in life, and while the world loves to dole out pain and difficulty, I make it a point to try and find the lessons within the miasma. I’m of the firm belief that every situation holds in its possession a valuable lesson to be learned, and a true tragedy denotes a negative situation from which nothing positive was salvaged from the ashes.

Recently, I found myself smack in the middle of a sad, frustrating situation. After a few rounds of the obnoxious self-pity game, my head cracked open like an egg and I came to the following conclusion:

Sometimes a person shows up in your life and you think, “Wow, I’m really glad to have met you.” Sometimes a person shows up in your life and you think, “Why are you here? Is your presence meant only to hurt me?”

Then at some point you realize that everything happens for a reason, that all people are here for a reason. Every experience is meaningful. There is a purpose to every single moment in life, good and bad, and sometimes the purpose of this painful moment is to remind you that you are still very much alive. That the hurt is real, and for that you should be thankful.

Because even moments like right now will be beautiful when you’ve got very few left.

Early Fall Beet and Carrot Vegetable Gratin Recipe with Parmesan

Author: Stephanie Stiavetti

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Appetiser

Cuisine: French

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 1 hrs

Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins

Nutrition Facts

Early Fall Beet and Carrot Vegetable Gratin Recipe with Parmesan

Amount Per Serving

Calories 419 Calories from Fat 297

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 33g 51%

Saturated Fat 20g 100%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 10g

Cholesterol 107mg 36%

Sodium 1011mg 42%

Potassium 468mg 13%

Total Carbohydrates 19g 6%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Protein 13g 26%

Vitamin A 224%

Vitamin C 12%

Calcium 40%

Iron 7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This luscious vegetable gratin recipe takes advantage of colorful early fall produce. Beets and carrots and cooked in cream and topped with parmesan. Hearty and comforting, this dish is like an electric blanket and a good pair of jammies.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 large beets, peeled and stems removed
• 2 large carrots
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cups milk
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 large clove garlic, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Grease a gratin dish with butter.
2. Slice the beets into 1/2" slices, then cut those slices into quarters. Cut the carrots into 1/2" rounds. Spread them into the gratin dish and set aside.
3. Mix together cream, milk, flour, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour over beets and carrots, then cover with foil.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the top starts bubbling vigorously and turning brown. Layer the top with grated cheese and bake for 3 to 5 more minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

Nutritional analysis does not include black truffle oil.

This content was originally posted on FearlessFresh.com.