Honey & Thyme-Roasted Carrots with Quesco Fresco
A delightfully-fresh spin on roasted carrots.
Ingredients:
1 bunch carrots, peeled
2 teaspoon butter, melted
2 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon fresh thyme
â…› teaspoon cayenne pepper
â…› teaspoon smoked paprika
½ cup queso fresco, crumbled
¼ cup pomegranate seeds
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 425° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
2. In a small bowl melt butter in the microwave (about 15 seconds). Add honey, thyme, cayenne, smoked paprika and a pinch each salt and pepper to the melted butter and mix together.
3. Pour the seasoning mixture over carrots and toss to make sure they are evenly coated. Spread carrots out on the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, flipping after 10 minutes.
4. Transfer roasted carrots to a serving dish and top with crumbled queso fresco and pomegranate seeds. Serve warm.
4. Transfer roasted carrots to a serving dish and top with crumbled feta and pomegranate seeds. Serve warm.
Roasted Potatoes, Turnips & Carrots
These easy roasted veggies are a great brunch side dish. (Or, try topping a hearty serving with a poached egg for a satisfying entrée.)
Ingredients:
2 pounds fingerling potatoes, washed and sliced into halves (if smaller) or quarters (if large)
1 small bunch carrots, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
1 bunch Hakurei turnips, washed, scrubbed and sliced into halves (if smaller) or quarters (if large)
1 red onion, peeled and chopped into small wedges
1-2 tablespoons olive or grapeseed oil
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
Freshly-chopped parsley
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Place potatoes, carrots, turnips and onions in a baking dish large enough for vegetables to spread out into a single layer. (Don’t crowd, or the vegetables won’t have a chance to crisp and brown. If necessary, divide the vegetables onto two baking sheets.) Add oil and spices and toss evenly to coat.
2. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring once or two during roasting, until potatoes are pierced easily with a fork. Remove from the oven, drizzle with about a teaspoon of olive oil and garnish with the fresh parsley.
Variation: These vegetables are also lovely with sautéed Shiitake mushrooms tossed in!
Roasted Carrots, Two Ways
One sweet, the other savory, these easy methods allow freshly-roasted carrots to shine!
Ingredients:
1 bunch carrots, trimmed and peeled
Savory version:
1 tablespoon butter, melted
A few pinches garlic sea salt or Maldon flake salt
Fresh ground pepper
Chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, oregano or parsley
Sweet version:
1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
A few pinches ground cinnamon
A few pinches sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 375° with the racks in the middle. Prepare one cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. For the savory version, toss with melted butter and place on a cookie sheet. For the sweet version, combine melted coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Toss the carrots with the mixture.
3. Bake both batches for about 40-45 minutes until slightly browned, caramelized and very soft. Brush the savory carrots with additional melted butter and chopped fresh herbs to finish.
Honey-Balsamic Roasted Carrots
This slam-dunk recipe from Domenica Marchetti’s The Glorious Vegetables of Italy beautiful combines both savory and sweet flavors.
Ingredients:
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Put carrots in a large roasting pan.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, honey and 2 teaspoons vinegar. Pour over carrots. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and a generous grinding of pepper. Toss gently to combine.
3. Roast carrots for 10 minutes; toss, roast for 15 minutes more, or until carrots are tender and browned in spots.
4. Transfer to serving platter and sprinkle with a few additional drops of vinegar and a dash of sea salt.
Roasted Golden Beet & Carrot Dip
This vibrant spread is delicious slathered on toasted bread or crackers.
Ingredients:
6 baby golden beets, trimmed and peeled
6-8 baby carrots, trimmed and peeled
1 medium-sized head of garlic, with the end cut off
3 tablespoons plus ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Quarter the beets and halve the carrots, then toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt. Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet, and slide into the oven. Roast 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and edges are a light golden brown, flipping vegetables halfway through.
2. Meanwhile, set out a 10-inch rectangle of foil. Set the head of garlic in the center, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Wrap the foil packet tightly around the garlic, set in a small ovenproof baking dish, and roast for about 15 minutes, or until cloves are soft and cooked through. Carefully open the foil packet, and set garlic aside until cool enough to handle. Squeeze the soft cloves out of the papery skin and set aside.
3. Place the roasted beets, carrots, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until broken down a bit. Then, with food processor running, drizzle in the ½ cup olive oil, honey and a large pinch of salt. Taste for seasoning and add more salt as needed. Top dip with minced parsley and serve at room temperature.
Roasted Golden Beets & Carrots with White Balsamic Dressing
This colorful dish is tossed with a slightly-sweet dressing anchored by fresh garlic scapes.
Ingredients:
6 golden beets, trimmed of greens, leaving 1-inch of stem attached
1 bunch carrots, trimmed of greens and cut into ¾-inch matchsticks
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons freshly chopped green herbs, such as parsley and mint
For dressing:
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
1-2 tablespoons honey
1 finely-minced garlic scape
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Wrap beets tightly in foil and roast in the oven until tender, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, toss carrots with oil and salt and pepper to taste in a shallow baking pan.
2. Remove beets from oven and then roast carrots in the oven at the same temperature until tender, about 20 minutes.
3. While carrots are roasting, unwrap beets and, when just cool enough to handle, slip off skins and remove stems. Cut beets into wedges.
4. To make the vinaigrette, whisk olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, and garlic scapes together in a bowl until smooth.
5. Transfer carrots and beets to a serving platter and drizzle with the vinaigrette, seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with freshly-chopped herbs; can be served either warm or at room temperature.
Honey-Glazed Baby Carrots
The inherent sweetness of carrots is further enhanced in this glazed side dish from local chef John Sundstrom’s Lark: Cooking Against the Grain.
Ingredients:
1¼ pounds baby carrots
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 ½ tablespoons honey
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Prepare an ice bath. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Boil the carrots for 2-3 minutes until just tender. Strain the carrots from water and immediately place them in the ice bath.
2. Remove the carrot skin by gently rubbing it off with a dry kitchen towel. (It should come off quite easily.)
3. Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add honey and butter to the pan and melt together. Add the carrots and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Cook until the carrots are heated through and the honey and butter mixture has formed a sticky glaze. Adjust seasoning to taste, serve hot.
Slow-Roasted Ginger-Lime Carrots
These flavorful carrots from Jennifer Perillo’s Homemade with Love cookbook are wonderful served hot, at room temperature and even cold.
Ingredients:
1 bunch carrots, peeled and stems discarded
1 (1½ -inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
Zest of 1 lime
Sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 300°.
2. Add the ginger, syrup, lime zest and salt to a small bowl. Adjust seasonings to taste. Beat with a fork or whisk to mix well.
3. Arrange the carrots in a roasting pan. Pour the ginger-oil mixture over them, tossing the carrots to coat them well. Bake until tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Wonderful served hot, at room temperature and even cold.
Chili-Roasted Carrots
Roasted with chili powder and cumin then tossed with micro cilantro and lime juice, these carrots are bursting with zesty flavor.
Ingredients:
2 pounds carrots, trimmed and cut julienne
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons fresh micro cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
Sea salt
Method:
1. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450º.
2. Combine oil, chili powder, cumin and salt in a medium bowl. Add carrots and toss well to coat. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast the carrots, stirring once, until tender and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Toss carrots with micro cilantro and lime juice, seasoning to taste with more salt as needed.
Roasted Baby Carrots with Parsley Compound Butter
Sweet baby carrots are roasted and tossed with our signature compound butter for this simple side.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound baby carrots, green tops trimmed leaving about 1 inch of stem for color
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon parsley compound butter, at room temperature
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Peel baby carrots and place in a bowl. Toss with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, until carrots are tender. Toss with parsley compound butter and serve warm, topped with additional chopped fresh parsley if desired.