While walking my oldest home from school last week, I paused to point out a cascade of snowy blossoms on a large shrub. Sweet soul that he is, my son agreed the flowers were “so pretty” and leaned in for a sniff. “What do they smell like?” I asked. “They smell like spring,” he replied, meandering down the road no longer interested in the flowers. “What does spring smell like?” He shrugged, “It smells sweet.”
If you aren’t familiar with 6 year old boys – these are pretty deep thoughts.
I agree, spring does smell sweet, especially when the essence of hyacinths and narcissus gets carried along on a breeze.
Around here spring also smells like cut grass and freshly turned dirt — the aroma of earthy minerals and compost is intensified by the frequent transitions between urgent rain and warming sun. Spring makes me think about Easter. Easter gets me thinking about bunnies and bunnies, well, you can’t think about bunnies without carrots.
In honor of Easter, bunnies, and the sweet smell of spring I hope you enjoy this simple aromatic side dish – honey-ginger roasted carrots.
Honey-ginger roasted carrots
Fresh carrots coated in a spicy sweet glaze of honey and ginger and roasted until just tender. An excellent addition to a holiday meal and simple enough for a weeknight. Steaming the carrots before roasting allows them to cook evenly in less time.
- 1 pound fresh carrots, peeled
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 inch of fresh ginger, grated (or more to taste)
- a few pinches of salt
- pepper to taste
1. Preheat oven to 450F
2. Cut the carrots into 3 inch lengths – halve any pieces thicker than 1 inch. Arrange the carrots in a shallow microwave safe dish. Cover the dish and microwave on high for 4 minutes, just until a fork easily pierces the thickest pieces. Drain any water. Toss the hot carrots with the butter, honey, ginger, salt and pepper.
3. Arrange the carrots in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until the glaze caramelizes on the carrots. Keep watch, the honey will want to burn. Remove the roasted carrots immediately.
4. Add additional salt and pepper to taste before serving warm.
Nutrition Information: 6 servings. Serving size: 1/3 cup Calories: 88; Fat: 4g : 2.4g Carbohydrates: 13g Sugar: 9g Sodium: 150mg Fiber: 2gProtein: .8g
Prep time: 10 mins. Cook time: 15 mins. Total time: 25 mins.
Adapted from Honey-Roasted Carrots
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