When my friend and kitchen mentor, Maria, served an elaborate home-cooked meal for one of our recent volunteer meetings, her heavenly roasted carrots lingered on my mind for days.  Fork-tender, savory and sweet, this was a side dish that I wanted to mimic just as soon as I could.  So, I decided that as a post-surgery treat, I would recreate Maria's roasted carrots for myself.

Prior to my scheduled procedure, I made sure to take care of as many errands as I possibly could, knowing full well that I'd be out of commission for quite some time.  I purchased all of the ingredients a few days prior to surgery with the lofty goal that I'd be able to cook after about a week's time.  Being in the kitchen was something that I could certainly look forward to!

A little over a week post-surgery, I was able to whip up this quick and easy recipe.  While I opted for whole-grain mustard, I think that Dijon would be equally as lovely and add a spicy, savory kick.  And for those a bit more daring, consider subbing Mike's Hot Honey for maple syrup.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch organic carrots (if you can, choose rainbow over orange - they're so pretty!)

• 1 tbsp. coconut oil

• 1 tbsp. Dijon or whole-grain mustard

• 1 tbsp. maple syrup

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

2. Scrub carrots thoroughly to remove dirt - pat dry.  Remove the top stem and the bottom nib (do not worry about peeling).

3. In a small cup, mix coconut oil, mustard, and maple syrup together.  Pour in to a pan that's large enough to fit the carrots, length-wise.

4. Add carrots to the pan and toss to evenly distribute mixture. 

5. On a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper (I prefer the latter), lay carrots and season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Set pan with remaining mixture aside. 

6. Roast for 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and flip the carrots over.  Re-season with salt and pepper, to taste.

7. Roast for 25 more minutes or until tender with the pierce of a fork or sharp knife.

8. Remove from oven.  Add carrots back to the pan with the remaining coconut oil/mustard/syrup mixture and gently toss to evenly distribute.

9. Serve immediately, or allow to cool and enjoy later as a side dish or chopped for a great salad topper!

...

Until we eat again, 

Lindsay, The Lunch Belle