When I think of vegetable side dishes, I typically turn my thoughts to something green and leafy. For some reason, carrots are largely neglected when it comes to being the "star" of a dish. While I typically always have carrots in my refrigerator, their utility is typically limited to soups, tomato sauces. sautes and juices.
With this recipe, carrots take the leading role and truly shine with a level of sweetness that is perfectly balanced with warm spices, fresh herbs, and rich, cooling yogurt.
Not only is the dish absolutely delicious - it provides so many health benefits as well. Do you remember being told to eat your carrots because they are good for your eyes? That was up there with "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." But really - there's truth in it! Carrots are incredibly rich in beta-carotene - the yellow/orange pigment that gives vegetables and fruits their rich colors. Beta-carotene alone isn't the holy grail when it comes to health - but what your body does with it is incredible. The body converts beta-carotene to Vitamin A (amazing!) which is great for healthy skin, your immune system, and your eyes. It's also an antioxidant and can help prevent cancer, heart and lung disease - among other benefits. AND cooking carrots actually increases the nutritional benefit! So while dipping raw carrots in hummus is a great snack - the best benefits come in dishes such as this where the carrots are cooked - unleashing all of their amazing benefits.
Pair the nutritional benefit of carrots with the anti-inflammatory and blood sugar controlling coriander, the iron filled cumin, and the probiotic packed Greek yogurt and you've got a nutrition powerhouse in a simple-to-prepare dish.
Honey-Roasted Carrots with Tahini Yogurt from "Plenty More"
Carrots:
scant 3 tbsp/60 g honey
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
3 thyme sprigs
12 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4 by 2 1/2-inch 2 by 6-cm batons (3 lb/1.3 kg)
1 1/2 tbsp cilantro leaves, coarsley chopped
salt and black pepper
Tahini Yogurt Sauce:
scant 3 tbsp/40 g tahini paste
2/3 cup/130 g Greek yogurt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt
Preheat the oven to 425 F/220 C.
Place all the ingredients for the tahini sauce in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Whisk together and set aside.
Place honey, oil, coriander and cumin seeds, and thyme in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon salt and a good grind of black pepper.
Add the carrots and mix well until coated, then spread them out on a large baking sheet and toast in the oven for 40 minutes, stirring gently once or twice, until cooked through and glazed.
**Tip: Cover the pan with some aluminum foil (non-stick if possible). At the high roasting temperature, the honey essentially caramelizes. This creates an amazing effect on the carrots - but a not so amazing effect on the pan. I made the mistake of only covering 4/5ths of my pan with foil and the remaining uncovered portion resulted in a blackened mess that unfortunately is not easy to recover from. I think a new pan is in my future!**
Transfer the carrots to a large serving platter or individual plates. Serve warm or at room temperature, with a spoonful of sauce on top, scattered with the cilantro.
We served this as a side with a simple whole roasted herb chicken and sauteed collard greens. Of the three meal components, the carrots were definitely the most flavor-packed. With the flavors of the coriander and cumin seeds, paired with tahini yogurt, I kept thinking how delicious this dish would be paired with falafel as a complete meal. The carrots certainly do not need to take a side role to a main (like the chicken). Adding something crunchy like falafel would be, in my opinion, the best way to serve the carrots and keep them the leading flavor of the meal.
Still, with the simplicity of the chicken, the carrots were able to provide the flavor punch and the two of us ended up finishing every last carrot. My eyes will thank me!
With this recipe, carrots take the leading role and truly shine with a level of sweetness that is perfectly balanced with warm spices, fresh herbs, and rich, cooling yogurt.
Not only is the dish absolutely delicious - it provides so many health benefits as well. Do you remember being told to eat your carrots because they are good for your eyes? That was up there with "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." But really - there's truth in it! Carrots are incredibly rich in beta-carotene - the yellow/orange pigment that gives vegetables and fruits their rich colors. Beta-carotene alone isn't the holy grail when it comes to health - but what your body does with it is incredible. The body converts beta-carotene to Vitamin A (amazing!) which is great for healthy skin, your immune system, and your eyes. It's also an antioxidant and can help prevent cancer, heart and lung disease - among other benefits. AND cooking carrots actually increases the nutritional benefit! So while dipping raw carrots in hummus is a great snack - the best benefits come in dishes such as this where the carrots are cooked - unleashing all of their amazing benefits.
Pair the nutritional benefit of carrots with the anti-inflammatory and blood sugar controlling coriander, the iron filled cumin, and the probiotic packed Greek yogurt and you've got a nutrition powerhouse in a simple-to-prepare dish.
Honey-Roasted Carrots with Tahini Yogurt from "Plenty More"
Carrots:
scant 3 tbsp/60 g honey
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
3 thyme sprigs
12 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4 by 2 1/2-inch 2 by 6-cm batons (3 lb/1.3 kg)
1 1/2 tbsp cilantro leaves, coarsley chopped
salt and black pepper
Tahini Yogurt Sauce:
scant 3 tbsp/40 g tahini paste
2/3 cup/130 g Greek yogurt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt
Preheat the oven to 425 F/220 C.
Place all the ingredients for the tahini sauce in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Whisk together and set aside.
Place honey, oil, coriander and cumin seeds, and thyme in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon salt and a good grind of black pepper.
Add the carrots and mix well until coated, then spread them out on a large baking sheet and toast in the oven for 40 minutes, stirring gently once or twice, until cooked through and glazed.
**Tip: Cover the pan with some aluminum foil (non-stick if possible). At the high roasting temperature, the honey essentially caramelizes. This creates an amazing effect on the carrots - but a not so amazing effect on the pan. I made the mistake of only covering 4/5ths of my pan with foil and the remaining uncovered portion resulted in a blackened mess that unfortunately is not easy to recover from. I think a new pan is in my future!**
Transfer the carrots to a large serving platter or individual plates. Serve warm or at room temperature, with a spoonful of sauce on top, scattered with the cilantro.
We served this as a side with a simple whole roasted herb chicken and sauteed collard greens. Of the three meal components, the carrots were definitely the most flavor-packed. With the flavors of the coriander and cumin seeds, paired with tahini yogurt, I kept thinking how delicious this dish would be paired with falafel as a complete meal. The carrots certainly do not need to take a side role to a main (like the chicken). Adding something crunchy like falafel would be, in my opinion, the best way to serve the carrots and keep them the leading flavor of the meal.
Still, with the simplicity of the chicken, the carrots were able to provide the flavor punch and the two of us ended up finishing every last carrot. My eyes will thank me!
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