Maple Mustard Roasted Rainbow Carrots

Roasted carrots with a dressing of extra virgin olive oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, mustard, miso and soy, combined with wasabi, salt and pepper. Such an amazing flavor!

I haven't always liked carrots. They were not on my "favorite vegetable" list. Not at all. They were down, down in the list together with fennel, cucumbers and beets to keep them company. I guess I don't like their earthy flavor. On the other hand, I could eat zucchini, eggplant, potatoes and sweet peas every single day of my life.

My father is a great cook. He is a "master" of pasta dishes and frittata, but his basic tomato sauce does not have my blessing because it has a sauté of onion, celery and chunks of carrots, while I prefer sauces with garlic and basil, or garlic, parsley and peperoncino. He also makes a side dish out of boiled carrots and potatoes, diced and dressed in olive oil, salt and pepper (I get "grumpy" if I'm there for supper on one of those days). Their fridge has always a big container with carrots inside, in my fridge at home you never see a carrot. I know, I can't be proud of that.

Things changed a bit from then; living with Loreto helped me reconcile with carrots. They would still not be my first choice of vegetables, if I get to choose, but at least I can put them in my mouth, chew them and swallow them without my eyes rolling back 😉 . This summer I ate cute baby carrots from my in-laws garden and from the Farmers Market (raw, can you believe that?). They were sweet and not too "earthy" and I actually enjoyed them. We even ordered and shared a roasted carrot dish in a restaurant in Nelson, B.C. when we were there last summer. They were good, but I ate the smaller ones, the overcooked, more caramelized of the bunch, of course 🙂 . Loreto wanted to ride this wave, so we bought a bag of organic rainbow carrots at our local Farmers Market, from our usual stand Sunrise Gardens . And I offered to cook them in some way for our dinner. How brave I am 😉 .

They were beautifully imperfect, with different shapes and shades. I really love Nature's creativity. Fortunately they were not too many and not too big, so I thought they would roast gorgeously. And they did. Loreto is amazing with sauces and concoctions so I asked his advice on flavors combination and together we came up with an awesome dressing. Just imagine: extra virgin olive oil combined with maple syrup and apple cider vinegar for some sweetness, mustard, miso and soy for the tanginess, wasabi for the kick, garlic, salt and pepper to flavor them all together. And here you have it: Maple Mustard Roasted Rainbow Carrots.

A gentle toss and in the oven they go. At half of their baking, just turn them over so they can roast beautifully and caramelize on either side. Sprinkle with fresh (or dry) parsley and serve to a pleasantly surprised husband 😉 .

I not only served them, I also ate them (the smaller and thinner, but still). Loreto was delighted and content of my accomplished task. Me too.

What is your least favorite vegetable, if any? Share it with us, we would love to hear your stories.

By the way, do you sometimes check my suggested songs? They are great! Today's song is John Mayer's "Half of my Heart".

Maple Mustard Roasted Rainbow Carrots

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• Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

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• 1 pound carrots, well scrubbed or peeled
• 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tsp mustard
• ¼ tsp miso paste
• ¼ tsp wasabi
• ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Scrub or peel the carrots.
3. Toss them in half of the mixture of the olive oil, maple syrup, mustard, miso, wasabi, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, salt and pepper.
4. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in the preheated oven, about 20 minutes.
5. Take them out of the oven, turn them facing the other way, and toss them in the remaining glaze.
6. Put back in the oven, lower the temperature to 350°F and cook for 10-15 more minutes or until tender and lightly golden brown and caramelized.
7. Serve warm, sprinkled with chopped parsley and a dusting of black pepper.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 2 side servings

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Nicoletta

I love baking and kneading dough because it takes me to a happy place in my soul.