Difficulty level Easy
YIELD Serves 4
Colour and texture play as much of a role in determining what kids will put in their mouths as taste. In fact, some foods don't even make it to the tasting step. We've all heard our kids question (and criticize) what is put in front of them. From "what's that green stuff" to "there are things in it" to the simple knee jerk "I don't like it," there are plenty of reasons keeping kids from picking up their forks.
It seems to me that parents have a better chance of getting their children to eat carrots than just about any other vegetable. Carrots are a naturally sweet vegetable and they lend themselves to many types of preparation.
I'm going to give you a simple recipe today that a child can see for what it is-a candied carrot. No sauces, no onions to pick out, no mushy green stuff. So give it a try and good luck!If you want to decrease the oven cooking time you can always steam or boil the carrots for a few minutes first.
|2 pounds||carrots, peeled and cut on the bias into 1 inch pieces 1/2 inch thick|
|3 tbsp||maple syrup|
|1 tbsp||lemon juice|
|1 tbsp||unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil|
|1/2 tsp||coarse sea or kosher salt.|
- Set an oven rack on the middle shelf and preheat to 475°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the maple syrup, lemon juice, butter and salt.
- If you have parboiled or steamed the carrots, drain them and add them to the bowl. Stir the carrots until they are all coated.
- Place into a baking dish large enough to hold the carrots in one layer. Roast, stirring halfway through the cooking time until tender and lightly caramelized;15 minutes if parboiled or steamed, 25 to 30 minutes if completely raw.
From Fresh Food Fast: Delicious, Seasonal Vegetarian Meals in Under an Hour by Peter Berley (2004, William Morrow Cookbooks)