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Roasted Carrots

Revised & updated 1/19/2021 – I think the reason a lot of people, especially kids, don’t like vegetables is because the way they’re cooked leaves them bland & tasteless. Not only that, but most methods cook out all the nutrients, but roasting retains all the precious nutrients. You’ve never tasted carrots, or any vegetable for that matter, until you’ve roasted them. They are amazingly sweet, nutty & oh so delicious… I guarantee this will become your preferred way to cook & eat them from now on!

Serves: 2 to 3

Ingredients

3 to 6 organic carrots, depending on size
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Kosher or sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Move an oven rack to the lower middle position & preheat oven to 400°.

2. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil & lightly grease with EVOO.

3. Trim ends of carrots & peel. Diagonally cut the fat end of each carrot into 1/2′ slices & as you approach the thinner end make the slices longer 3/4″ to 1″ at the thinnest part. You can also cut the whole carrots in half lengthwise or leave the carrots whole… but you’ll have to increase the roasting time for both cutting methods.

4. Place carrots in a 2.5 quart bowl & drizzle with 1 Tblsp EVOO & toss till well coated.

5. Spread carrots out on the baking sheet, arranging similar sizes together (see Tip# 1) & sprinkle with salt & pepper (see Tip# 2).

6. Roast carrots approx 25 – 30 minutes, turning them over 1/2 way through (see Tip# 3). When done, carrots should be fork-tender & caramelized in spots. Cooking times will vary depending on size of carrots & you may need to remove smaller ones as they become done.

7. Remove sheet from oven & serve or transfer to a plate to cool.

8. If you want to serve more people; wipe foil with a damp paper towel & repeat procedure with more carrots (see Tip# 6).

Tips & Suggestions

1. Arranging similar sizes together makes it easier to remove smaller ones if they’re done first.

2. I generally season all my roasted vegetables with just EVOO, salt & pepper. Occasionally, at step# 4, I’ll add an herb or a spice like dried thyme or granulated garlic depending on the particular vegetable & the dish I’ll be serving it with. You could also add, at step# 5, a small amount of crushed red pepper or sprinkle on a little fresh squeezed lemon juice or even use parmesan cheese. There’s really no limit to how you can customize roasted vegetables to your liking… the only thing required is your imagination!

3. Ovens tend to be hotter in the back, so once you turn the carrots over, turn the pan around when you return it to the oven.

4. Some times I’ll spend one morning roasting a variety of veggies, using the same baking sheets & foil. Then I’ll freeze them for later use. It saves a lot of money using the same foil over & over again and in the long run it saves a lot of time.

5. If you’re cooking this ahead of time to freeze or if you have leftovers:

     a. Let carrots cool to room temperature.
     b. Freeze in airtight containers for up to 2 months.
     c. If you’re planning to use within a couple of days, store container(s) in the refrigerator.

6. If you have 2 baking sheets you can bake more vegetables at the same time on different levels, swapping their positions halfway through the baking time.