Tag Archives: Roasted Carrots

Cilantro Lime Salmon and Cumin Roasted Carrots

This recipe is inspired by my new niece, Danit. She is a very welcome addition to our family and we were all thrilled when she agreed to marry our nephew Ben. They live in Florida and last month they welcomed a sweet baby girl into the family. The first of the next generation. I am now a great aunt, although if you were to ask some of my 24 nieces and nephews, I think that at least one or two would say I have always been a great aunt!

We finally managed a visit to Florida, a few weeks ago, to see the baby. She is adorable, and the most chill baby I have ever met. I’m convinced this is due, in no small part, to her relaxed parents. Their laid-back attitude was so unusual to see in a new parent. When we walked in, Danit immediately asked us if we wanted to hold her. Once I had her in my arms, sniffing in that delicious new baby scent, Danit proceeded to make lunch for us.

She made oven baked cilantro salmon, roasted shredded brussels sprouts, rice and a salad. I don’t recall being capable of making lunch for myself, let alone guests, when my first born was 5 weeks old! Everything was delicious and that sweet baby lay quietly in her bounce chair, dozing, while we ate lunch.

This is my take on Danit’s salmon. I used a mixture of tender green herbs, including cilantro, Italian parsley, mint and basil. Dill would be an excellent addition. This is a very flexible marinade. Cilantro haters, feel free to omit the cilantro and add more of the other herbs. Make it your own. I added some toasted pistachios to the mixture for a bit of texture, lime juice for fresh acidity and honey to balance the tartness.
I put the carrots in the oven before the fish, as they need a longer roasting time. They were simply dressed with salt, pepper, olive oil and cumin. Carrots and cumin are a really delicious pairing.

Fresh light and bright, for when the comfort foods of January fail to satisfy.

Click here to print recipe for Cilantro Lime Salmon with Cumin Roasted Carrots.

Harissa and Maple Roasted Carrots

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There are certain things I am powerless to resist. Cute black jumpsuits (only my daughter knows how many I own, and I’ve sworn her to secrecy), anything coconut on a dessert menu, smelling the head of a newborn baby and rainbow carrots with the tops still on.

Whenever I see them, I buy several bunches. I love them roasted. This is a simple recipe I found in Bon Appetit a few years ago. Harissa, is a spicy North African chile paste. I buy it in a tube, that keeps for quite a while in the fridge. Maple syrup tempers some of Harissa’s heat.

I think this marinade will also be fantastic with roasted squash or parsnips, and I am excited to try it on grilled zucchini this summer.

Here’s a few other ideas for using up that tube of Harissa. It is spicy, so a little bit goes a long way.

Blend a spoonful into meatloaf or burgers
Swirl a bit into some mayo for a spicy sweet potato fries dip
Mix a dollop into humus for a spicy kick
Stir some into your favourite BBQ sauce for grilled or roasted chicken
Enhance your tomato sauce for pasta

Click here to print recipe for Harissa and Maple Roasted Carrots.

Nose to Tail Roasted Carrots

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The concept of “nose to tail eating” has been gathering quite a bit of momentum over the past several years. It stems from a desire to be more responsible and waste as little as possible of the animals being killed for our food.

I try to be a more responsible carnivore. I buy whole chickens and cut them up myself, using the bones and neck to make stock. However, I just can’t seem to jump aboard the whole animal movement when it comes to using up veal tongue, beef cheeks or pigs ears. I’m just not that adventurous an eater.

Happily, for me, the nose to tail movement has recently made it’s way over from animals to vegetables. There’s a movement afoot by chefs, to use up every part of each vegetable we pull from the garden. Here’s a crusade I can get behind. I’m already great at using up broccoli stems and corn cobs.When I stumbled across a recipe for using up the green carrot tops on epicurious.com, it kind of blew my mind. Who knew that carrot tops were edible and that you could create a pesto from them? I was very excited to try it. Carrots get oiled and seasoned and then blasted in a hot oven to roast for about 30 minutes. I left a tiny bit of the stems on because it looks so pretty. Using up the tender green carrot tops in a pesto is a very clever way to use them up. They taste fresh and clean with a mild carrot flavour. Fresh basil, parmesan, garlic, macadamia nuts and some extra virgin olive oil get blitzed in the food processor with the carrot tops to make a smooth pesto.

Click here to print recipe for Roasted carrots with Carrot Top Pesto.

Pomegranate Molasses Glazed Carrots

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You know it’s January because every food blogger worth her salt is writing about the joys of vegetables . Those sweet food porn days of December are long gone, buried under the 5 pounds of butter and sugar, tucked oh so discretely under a layer of skin, in my case, just below where my waist used to be.

Although we squeal with delight and burble over with joy at summer produce (remember wild blueberries?), winter in the produce aisle can produce some gush worthy moments as well. It just requires a bit more work.

Carrots are often bypassed as too pedestrian, but in deft hands, carrots can be magical. These carrots were way too pretty to leave behind at the supermarket.I have a secret ingredient that turns ordinary roasted carrots into something quite special. It’s pomegranate molasses. Not actually molasses at all, but just pure pomegranate juice, and a bit of sugar boiled down and reduced to a thick, syrupy reduction. Dip your finger into this thick, garnet coloured syrup and you will be instantly transported back to your childhood! If you are of a certain age you will remember with fondness that powerful puckering of your lips from these candies. Pomegranate molasses has that tart/sweet quality, but in a grown up way. It adds an intense earthy depth of flavour to so many things. I have been using it in a chicken sauce for years now, and everyone who eats it always asks, “what is in this sauce?” It can be found in many supermarkets now, as well as in Middle Eastern specialty shops. If you can’t find it, here is a recipe from Alton Brown to make your own pomegranate molasses.

The idea of roasting carrots with pomegranate molasses came from Melissa Clark’s book “In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite.” The first time I made them, I found the flavour to be delicious but the carrots were a bit shrivelled in appearance and leathery in texture. As I thought about how to avoid this issue, I remembered that I boil potatoes for a few minutes before roasting to get a crispy not leathery skin. I wondered if the same treatment with carrots would work? I peeled them and cut them on the diagonal, to increase the surface area that would come into contact with the roasting pan. They got a quick 2 minute dip in boiling salted water. Then I drained them on paper towels for a few minutes before roasting.I tossed them with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne and roasted them in a hot (425°F) oven for about 45 minutes. I added the pomegranate molasses and some honey during the last 5 minutes of roasting as I did not want them to burn.

The finished carrots were crispy without being leathery. The pinch of cayenne added a nice kick and the pomegranate molasses added an amazing sweet tart punch. I gilded the lily and sprinkled on some pomegranate seeds. They glistened like little jewels.

Salt and Serenity

Tales from my kitchen