Maple roasted carrots with cranberries - Lazy Cat Kitchen (2024)

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easygluten-freeThanksgiving

Maple roasted carrots with cranberries - Lazy Cat Kitchen (1)

Happy mid-week, guys! After a week in sunny Poland, I am back to playing hide and seek with the sun in Bristol. The days are short and often grey, which poses a massive challenge as far as natural light photography is concerned. This week is supposed to be fairly bright and sunny for the first 3 days so I am running around like crazy doing final recipe testing, purchasing the ingredients and shooting both recipes by Wednesday as Thursday and Friday are meant to be dark and cloudy so I won’t get anything done.

My resolve not to use artificial light is eroding slowly. As much as I don’t want to give in, I also feel that the stress of sudden light changes is a bit too much on some days. Like today, the sun was out while I was doing the process shots, the moment I plated and styled the dish a big grey cloud came out of nowhere and sat there in front of my window laughing me in the face.

The colours and aromas of today’s dish of orange zest and thyme made me realise how close it is till Xmas. While we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here, I am well aware that next week is going to be all about Thanksgiving for a lot of you, guys. I know from personal experience that being vegan at times when meat is an absolute must on most people’s tables can be particularly difficult and alienating so I thought I would come to your rescue with a few Thanksgiving-friendly vegan dishes.

First up is a colourful side of maple and harissa glazed carrots studded with jammy cranberries and toasted almonds for much needed flavour and texture contrast. This dish is low on effort and easy to make. If you are not a fan of harissa or it’s too untraditional for you, feel free to skip it or swap it out for a range of dry spices like cumin, cinnamon, coriander, paprika or chilli. They all work with carrots, maple syrup and cranberries rather well too.

Maple roasted carrots with cranberries - Lazy Cat Kitchen (2)

Maple roasted carrots with cranberries - Lazy Cat Kitchen (3)

Maple roasted carrots with cranberries - Lazy Cat Kitchen (4)

Maple roasted carrots with cranberries - Lazy Cat Kitchen (5)

Maple roasted carrots with cranberries - Lazy Cat Kitchen (6)

serves

4 as a starter

PREPARATION

15 min

COOKING

20 min

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INGREDIENTS

  • 500 g / 1.1 lb / 17 oz medium young carrots, scrubbed clean
  • 100 g / 3.5 oz fresh cranberries*
  • 60 ml / ¼ cup maple syrup, divided
  • zest of ½ large orange
  • 30 ml / 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tsp harissa paste**, adjust to taste (strength varies!)
  • a few springs of thyme or lemon thyme
  • 1 garlic clove, finely grated
  • ½ tsp salt, adjust to taste
  • black pepper, to serve
  • 20 g / ¼ cup almond flakes

METHOD

  1. Set the oven to 170° C / 340° F fan forced (or 190° C / 375° F no fan) and line one large baking tray (or two smaller ones) with baking paper.
  2. Trim the green tops off the carrots (you can make pesto out of them or add them to soups) and cut carrots into halves lengthwise.
  3. Coat cranberries in 1 tbsp of maple syrup and mix in orange zest.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine olive oil, 3 tbsp maple syrup, harissa paste, thyme leaves (about 1 tbsp), garlic, salt and a good pinch of black pepper.
  5. Coat dry carrots in the maple and harissa mixture (keep any leftovers) and space them out on a large baking tray,. If you have a large tray, place cranberries at the other end, if not use two separate trays.
  6. Roast for about 20-25 minutes, until carrots are tender and the exterior slightly caramelized and cranberries are soft and jammy. If cranberries are done sooner, remove them from the tray with a spatula and set aside. If you have any leftover carrot marinade, apply it with a brush again half way through the baking time.
  7. Toast almonds lightly in a hot pan until lightly browned and fragrant.
  8. Place roasted carrots and cranberries on a large serving platter. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and fresh thyme or finely chopped carrot tops (but go easy on them as they taste bitter).

NOTES

*You can use dried cranberries instead but roasted from fresh are so much nicer! If using dried dried, there is no need to bake them and you may also want to add a touch of lemon juice to your carrot marinade to maintain the balance of flavours. I also tend to soak dry cranberries in warm orange juice to rehydrate and make them more plump, but that’s totally optional.

**If you don’t like harissa, skip or use a mixture or one of these dry spices such as cumin, coriander, cinnamon, sweet smoky and hot paprika (or chilli) instead.

NUTRITIONAL INFO

calories

223

11%

sugars

19 g

21%

fats

11 g

16%

saturates

1 g

6%

proteins

3 g

5%

carbs

31 g

12%

*per serving

Maple roasted carrots with cranberries - Lazy Cat Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

How does Gordon Ramsay cook carrots? ›

Cooking instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan, then add the carrots and parsnips and toss to coat in the oil. Add the thyme, cinnamon, star anise and some seasoning. Cook over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes, turning the vegetables frequently, until golden brown and almost cooked through.

How do I roast carrots Delia? ›

Next, put the garlic cloves and salt in the mortar, crush to a purée, then whisk in the oil. Now toss this mixture around with the carrots and spices, then spread it out on the baking tray. Pop it into the oven on a high shelf and roast until the carrots are tender when tested with a skewer – 30-40 minutes.

Why do you have to peel carrots before roasting? ›

That's likely because carrot skins can turn bitter and dry when they're cooked. For some, the flavor difference is barely noticeable, but for others, the earthiness is a complete turn-off. Carrots' glossy exteriors may also turn dusty and dry in the heat of an oven.

What makes carrots taste better? ›

Roasting really brings out carrots' best qualities. To make them, just toss carrots with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake until they're golden on the edges and tender throughout.

Should you parboil carrots before roasting? ›

Roasting Tips

Parboiling skin-on carrots and parsnips lets you soften them without them losing too much moisture. Follow up by browning in a 375°F (190°C) oven for about 40 minutes.

Why are my roasted carrots still hard? ›

Undercook them, and the texture is tough and dense. Overcook them, and they're dry and wrinkled. The secret is to soften the carrots slightly by boiling them briefly before roasting. The texture will be firm-tender with just the right amount of caramelization on the outside.

Why are my roast carrots soggy? ›

As they cook, vegetables give off moisture, and when arranged too close together it results in a soggy outcome. Follow this tip: To achieve beautiful browning and crisp, roasted perfection, vegetables need some breathing room. Arrange vegetables in a single layer and don't overcrowd the pan.

Is it better to roast or boil carrots? ›

Roasted carrots have the best texture, and the flavor is amazing. Roasting draws out the natural sweetness and you get a nice caramelized flavor. They're so much better than boiled carrots! Roasting is also easy; it's hard to overcook a roasted vegetable: if it gets too done, it's clearly burned.

What is the appropriate cooking method for carrots? ›

Carrots can be cooked using several methods. Some common methods are steaming, boiling, braising, roasting, sautéing, stir frying, and microwaving. Carrots should be cooked only until they are tender-crisp to ensure maximum flavor. Overcooking may also destroy some of the nutrients contained in carrots.

How do chefs chop carrots? ›

To Rough-Cut or Dice

Large carrots should be split in half or quartered lengthwise first, then crosscut into large chunks. For smaller dice, cut the carrot lengthwise into roughly 1/4-inch sticks, then crosscut those sticks into 1/4-inch dice.

What is the carrot trick frying? ›

The carrot trick, which is as simple as adding pieces of raw, trimmed carrot to your frying oil, could prevent whatever you're frying and the oil itself from burning. When your frying oil doesn't burn away quickly, you won't have to keep adding more to the pan.

References

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