I had something of a whirlwind weekend in which I hung out with a bunch of Philly bloggers, helped a friend arrange the couches in her new house and baked a batch of brownies to take to an impromptu dinner party. Other than the brownies, I didn't do much in the way of cooking and by last night, I was aching to get back into the kitchen and make some easy food that tasted good and wasn't ordered off a menu.
The meal I cooked was fairly simple, just some chicken breasts marinated in balsamic vinegar, olive oil and chopped rosemary (grilled up quickly on my trusty George Foreman grill--it's not fancy but it does the job really well), steamed broccoli and roasted carrots. However, it was deeply satisfying.
The carrots were an especially nice touch as they aren't one of my normal sides. They brought added color and sweetness to a meal that could have been a little boring otherwise. Typically I don't peel carrots, but these had been in my crisper drawer for some time and so had gotten a little furry and funky, so I quickly stripped them of their skins. I cut them on the bias for maximum surface area, tossed them with salt, pepper and olive oil and popped them in a 425 degree oven for about half an hour. They came out sweet and tender, but not mushy. You could do the same thing with those half-empty bags of baby carrots that often gather in the produce drawer. By using them, you wouldn't even have to chop them to prepare.
1-23-2008 @10:54AM K said... I use a combo of these tips -- like you suggested, I often empty the bottom of the baby cut carrots into a bowl of salt, pepper and olive oil, toss, and roast. If I have onions, I take Steve's tip and roast them at the same time, and then combine. If I'm all fancy like, I'll sprinkle some schezwan pepper salt* on them, or perhaps curry powder, but I like them just roasted plain (in fact, much better than raw. Hot or cold, they are delicious.
*From my China Moon Bistro cookbook, roast some whole dried schezwan peppercorns (which are a bud, not really pepper), combine with roasted sea salt, and pulse in a food processor or crush in a mortor. Use as you would salt and pepper in any and all dishes. It's much deeper, smokier, and vibrant. Unusual and complex. I love it.
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1-22-2008 @6:39PM RobynT said... great idea. i've been steaming my leftover carrots and finding that wholly unsatisfying. also, i never knew things were cut on the bias for more surface area!
halfassfoodie.blogspot.com
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1-22-2008 @7:22PM steve said... carmelize sliced raw onions coated in balsamic vinegar in seperate pan then when carrots and onions are fully cooked mix together and serve. damn good!
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1-22-2008 @7:43PM Big John said... Try some dill, too! Excellent with carrots.
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