Personally, I am always looking for new exciting ways to eat veggies… And I am always looking for new and exciting ways to get my kids to eat their veggies! I am a bone fide veggie lover, but I was not always thus! In fact, I remember frowning at many a plate of veggies as a child (a.k.a. pretty much all of them). My turning vegan (or even vegetarian) probably dumbfounded my parents!
Tonight I am tackling ways to eat carrots. Lets see.. my kids are fond of carrot juice, pot roasted carrots (basically seasoned with olive oil, tamari and sage), plain carrots with hummus, carrot cake (obviously), and… well, that may sum it up. I guess I should be happy that they eat carrots at all, but it never hurts to keep trying new ways… for everything, all the time 🙂
Carrots are pretty abundant at the farmers market right now. I love to use fresh local carrots, or organic store-bought. The deer usually make our garden into their own personal feasting grounds once things start to sprout, so we haven’t planted much yet this year. In fact, this upcoming weekend I am planning on doing lots of planting and deer proofing our garden.
This first agave-glazed carrot recipe is simple and sweet. It’s super fast, delicious, and kid approved.
Agave-Glazed Carrots
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1 lb carrots (about 8 medium)
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1 Tbsp amber agave nectar
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2 Tbsp soy margarine
Put carrots in a pot with just enough water to cover them. Boil until fork tender. Drain. Add margarine & agave to the pot and stir together until glaze forms, then add carrots. Sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon if desired!
(Pssst! These carrots are also really yummy if you use maple syrup instead of agave nectar and add some dill!)
Balsamic-Agave Roasted Carrots
This method took about 45-60 minutes but the end result was delicious. It has a little more of a “grown up” flavor, if you will. My kids didn’t go for these so much. Oh well. You gotta try everything once!
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1 lb carrots (about 8 medium carrots)
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1 turnip (optional)
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2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
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2 Tbsp amber agave nectar
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olive oil for coating pan, as needed
** For another option, replace the agave nectar with 2-3 Tbsp olive oil and add 1 tsp each fresh chopped rosemary and sage.
Preheat oven to 425. Peel and uniformly cut carrots and turnip, if using. Whisk together the vinegar and agave. Oil up your roasting pan and arrange the veggies on a single layer. Put about 2/3 of your mix on the veggies. Roast for 25 minutes. Pull out of oven, add the remaining agave/vinegar and toss. Return to oven for another 20 minutes or until tender!
I love roasted vegetables! If you haven’t already, you should try these maple roasted parsnips! Roasting any kind of root vegetable makes a great side dish for any season!
Your Vegan Neighbor 