Spiced and Roasted Multi-Colored Organic Carrots

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...A simple grilled chicken gave me the time I needed to play with some new side dishes I wanted to serve for dinner last night. Once the chicken was dressed and ready for the grill, I transferred it to the capable hands of the Silver Fox, and moved on to our vegetable of the evening. It was a perfect time to try the multi-color carrots that have been tempting me for a while now. The ones in the market were gnarly in comparison to the beauties I've seen in magazines, but I figured with a little trimming they'd be a perfect companion for the chicken. I wanted something a little different than the roast carrots that I usually prepare, so I added some simple spices to the olive oil I use to coat the carrots before roasting them. I used a light hand with the spices because I didn't want them to mask the flavor of the carrots I had yet to try. I'm not quite sure what I expected, but I was a bit disappointed in the carrots. I thought they'd be wildly different in flavor than their orange cousins. That didn't prove to be the case. I found them to be less sweet and more fibrous than everyday carrots. Were it not for the novelty of color, I'd have been really disappointed. I won't bother with these again. Their flavor doesn't compensate for the additional cost it takes to get them to the table. I was, however, really pleased with the recipe I used to make them and will use it in the future for roasting ordinary garden variety carrots. If you are looking for a different way to prepare carrots, I think you'll like this recipe. Without further ado, here's my version of spiced and roasted carrots.

Spiced and Roasted Multi-Colored Organic Carrots...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 pounds organic multi-colored carrots, cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup white raisins
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2) Combine oil, garlic, sugar, cumin, salt, cinnamon, cayenne and carrots in a shallow baking pan. Roast 20 minutes or until fork-tender.
3) Remove from oven and add raisins, lemon juice, and parsley. Toss well. Serve warm or at room temperature. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.






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