Although it is available to us all year round, the sweetest are young carrots that have just started their season. Although we use this vegetable almost every day, it is most often used as an integral part of vegetables for stewing or soup. But carrots are far more than basic vegetables! It is very tasty, and apart from the salad, there are other options where you can serve carrots on their own. Let’s say, roasted carrots! And here’s how to bake it and serve it so it’s a real treat.
Baking concentrates and caramelizes sugars, so the naturally sweet taste of carrots comes out even more. It is good to say that although carrots have a sweet taste, they do not contain a large amount of sugar, 4 – 5 g, while, for example, an apple contains 10 g of sugar per 100 g. However, that taste needs to be upgraded a little more. That’s why carrots are seasoned with a mixture of olive oil, honey, caraway seeds and salt and pepper before baking, and they are sprinkled with lemon juice when baked. Each of these spices has its own role, and honey and cumin are especially interesting. Because of the honey, carrots will get a nice glaze and an even clearer sweetness when baked, while cumin is a spice that is described as earthy, warm and deep and actually complements that sweetness. Without it, carrots would be just sweet. The acid from the lemon is there to balance the flavors, and if you want, you can use lime instead of lemon.
Although you can serve carrots roasted like this as a side dish, add to a salad or something similar, they are fantastic served like this with yogurt. Or ricotta, because with a little garlic, the milky taste goes perfectly with roasted vegetables.
And finally, what do carrots and tan have to do with each other? Well, they have, because carrots are known as a source of beta carotene. Beta carotene accumulates in the skin and gives a subtle warmer tone that is especially noticeable on tanned skin.
Baked baby carrots with yogurt
Ingredients
600 g of carrots
200 g of Greek yogurt
30 ml of olive oil
1 spoon of honey
1 teaspoon cumin (or coriander)
a little lemon juice
clove of garlic (optional)
fresh parsley or dill
salt, pepper
Preparation
Peel the carrot and cut it lengthwise if it is thicker, then mix it with olive oil, honey, cumin, salt and pepper. Spread it on a baking sheet and bake at 220 °C for about 20-30 minutes until it softens and caramelizes slightly. While the carrots are baking, mix the yogurt with a little lemon juice, finely grated garlic and a pinch of salt. Spread yogurt on a plate, place warm roasted carrots on top and finish with chopped herbs and a few more drops of olive oil.
