These chilled carrots are outstanding. I’m now exploring different herbs and enhancements so we can enjoy them year round – chilled or hot.
Roasting carrots not only brings out the naturally sweet flavor, but enhances the gorgeous color, whether orange, yellow or purple. This recipe suggests roasting the carrots whole for presentation ~ plus it just saves much needed meal prep time. There are notes of Moroccan and Middle-eastern seasonings in this version. To elevate flavors, coriander and cumin seeds are sautéed on low heat with raw honey and coconut oil. We then added chili flakes and turmeric for warmth. Tossed the whole carrots in the coriander honey mixture and roasted until tender. We chilled them for a few hours and served with fresh chopped mint and toasted spiced pepitas for the perfect side to our Moroccan spiced turkey, herb & feta burgers. First day of summer tasted good!
Makes 4-6 servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 T coconut oil, plus more for pepitas
- 2 T coriander seeds
- 2 T cumin seeds
- 1/3 C raw honey
- 1/2 tsp turmeric, fresh or ground
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
- 2 T fresh garlic, minced
- 2 lbs medium organic carrots, no need to peel
FOR SPICED PEPITAS
- 2 T coconut oil
- 1/2 C raw pepitas
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp cumin, ground
- 1/2 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp lime zest
Preheat oven to 425. In a sauce pan on medium heat, melt coconut oil. Add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, honey, turmeric, salt and chili flakes and gently saute’ for 2-3minutes. Add in minced garlic, stir and remove from heat. On a parchment lined sheet pan, place carrots and toss in coriander honey mixture. Evenly coat each carrot and arrange in one layer on the pan. Place in oven and roast for about 20 minutes until fork tender. If you’re using smaller carrots you may only need 15 minutes of roasting time.
In a small saute’ pan on medium heat add 2 tablespoons coconut oil, salt, cumin, smoked paprika and lime zest. Gently warm for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, add pepitas and coconut oil mixture. Toss to coat well. On another parchment lined sheet pan, spread out pepitas in one layer and roast in same over (425) for about 10 minutes. They should be slightly browned, not dark in color.
When carrots and pepitas are done roasting toss together and put in container. Cover and put in the fridge for 2-3 hours until completely chilled. Serve garnished with chopped fresh mint.
COOK’S NOTES
We had a spicy honey dill yogurt sauce on the turkey herb feta burgers that we served with the carrots. Dipping the carrots in the sauce was pretty tasty! Please turkey burger recipe in our blog — the sauce recipe is there as well!
Adding feta to this dish would be fantastic. I thought of it as we were eating our turkey feta burgers! Next time!