First let me apologize for not posting yesterday, but I had a hell of a day. I will post an extra recipe this weekend to keep up with my 30 recipes goal. So on to today’s subject.
Ok, carrots are the second most popular vegetable in the world so why am covering it as part of my under appreciated foods? Simple, there are a lot of people that are scared of cooking carrots and i can understand why. If you boil them they get mushy, if there isn’t enough moisture with them while baking they become hard little chewy things and flavoring them can be a bit tricky. Carrots are wonderful because they are loaded with dietary fiber, antioxidants and of course beta carotene. And even though they are insanely popular, most people don’t think of adding them to their meals. They are an ingredient in dishes not a dish all their own which is a shame.
Carrots believe it or not are easy to cook. Because they have a lot of natural sugar they could very easily become a picky eaters favorite vegetable if done right. I personally like to braise my carrots because that way they stay relatively intact and it gives them plenty of time to give up their sugars. Roasting is another favorite just about every where because they get thrown into the pot roast or chicken while cooking but a few things to remember when executing that move. Always make sure to have enough moisture to keep them from getting dried out, don’t over crowd the pan and keep them near the bottom to avoid burning. As far as seasoning them you wan to stick with herbs in the same family as carrots themselves, such as: caraway, celery, coriander, chervil, cumin, fennel, dill and my favorite to add to carrots parsley. All of these will add to the flavor of the carrots instead of competing with it.
This recipe was created on day when I had no veggies around except some frozen carrots, so I threw these together and it was loved by all. I hope that this gives you some courage in trying to move your carrots from an ingredient to a side dish. And we will continue our quest to elevate the status of underrated foods tomorrow.
Last Minute Carrots
1 Package frozen carrots, sliced or baby
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, mined
1 teaspoon paprika
1teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup water
salt to taste
2 tablespoon chopped parsely
2 tablespoons honey
In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic, paprika and cumin and cook till fragrant, approximately 2 minutes. Add carrots and water cover and simmer for 5 minutes, or until slightly tender. Uncover reduce heat, add honey and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until liquid begins to become syrupy. Toss in parsley and serve
