• Home
  • About
    • This IS My Real Job
    • 5 Things I’ve Learned…
  • Beautycounter
    • Become a Beautycounter Consultant: FAQs
  • Contact
  • Recipe Index
  • Travel
  • Amazon Lists
  • Instagram
  • Fitness
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Heather's Dish

Heather's Dish Snacks, Soups, Sides

Maple Roasted Carrots

Share
Pin1
Tweet
1 Shares

When Nate and I first got married he would ask for one side and one side dish alone:  brown sugar carrots.

The problem?  I had no idea what those were.  Still don’t really know what they are or how to make them.  Sure, that’s what Google’s for – or, you know, asking people – but what’s the fun in that?  I figured that if he couldn’t tell me how to make them then we’d make another side dish.  So all these years (4.5 years!) we’ve yet to make a side dish with cooked carrots.

 

Honestly I grew up eating carrots raw and didn’t really know another way.  Sure, I knew they’d be good roasted, but they’re just so easy to take with you and crunch in their natural state!  Not to mention the dogs adore carrots.  Scratch that:  ‘adore’ isn’t a strong enough word.  Covet?  Cherished?  Infatuated?  They seriously love them to the point that they will sit in front of me and beg like they’ve been starved for weeks if I happen to be snacking on a fistful of them!  It wasn’t always like that though…

 

Bunker, when he was but a young only pup, would spit them out and move them around on the floor.  When we got Keira we randomly gave her one, which she ate like a pro and promptly started begging for more.  Anyone with multiple dogs (or probably kids for that matter) knows that if one is begging for something the other one will too.  So we gave one to Bunker who spit it out again.  Keira snatched it up and you could practically hear Bunker saying, “MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!  She took my carrot!!!!”  We gave them each one more and they’ve been hooked ever since.

 

I’m telling you, nothing like sibling rivalry to get your kids or fur-babies to eat their veggies.  Although I suppose you should make sure one of them likes veggies first…

Anyway, back to the carrot side dish thing.  We never made warm carrots.  Until now.  You see I forced myself to give in and pay the obscene amount of money it costs for 64 oz of pure maple syrup.  And since we can’t eat pancakes THAT many days in a row without tiring of them I knew we had to figure something else out.  I scoured the fridge and found our bunch of carrots with tops on.  A voice in the back of my head whispered, “Maple Roasted Carrots might be like those Brown Sugar Carrots Nate keeps asking for…” ever so softy.

 

An idea was born.  I immediately got to washing, peeling and chopping.  And I didn’t feel quite so much like I had the half-gallon-of-maple-syrup-blues anymore…although I can’t speak for my checkbook.  Yikes.

MAPLE ROASTED CARROTS

  • 1 bunch carrots (approximately 10 whole carrots)
  • 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup, plus more for drizzling if desired
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 400.  Wash and peel all of the carrots.  Cut them into 3/4-inch slices, making sure they’re all approximately the same size for accurate cooking times.  Place on a baking sheet; be sure they’re not too crowded!  Drizzle with olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper.  Toss with your hands making sure everything is equally coated.  Roast at 400 for 30-35 minutes, turning every 7-10 minutes to insure even browning.  Remove from pan once they’re done otherwise the maple syrup will make them stick!  (On that same note it would be good to soak the pan immediately…after removing the carrots of course!)  Drizzle with a little extra maple syrup if desired and/or sprinkle with a tad more salt.  Enjoy with any protein or just eat them by themselves!

Carrots that are golden brown, shiny, full of flavor and just-so-perfect tender.  Who knew a side dish could be so sexy?!

Share
Pin1
Tweet
1 Shares


12 Comments

Subscribe for the latest.

« Blueberry Breakfast Cookies
What To Do? »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Megan's Cookin' says

    October 29, 2011 at 7:17 am

    A side dish I have to try! You just cant go wrong with maple syrup. 🙂

    Reply
  2. Cassie (Bake Your Day) says

    August 23, 2011 at 6:21 pm

    I love carrots but for some reason I’ve never roasted them…I always cook them in a skillet with brown sugar or OJ. I’ll try it this way!

    Reply
  3. Denise @ Creative Kitchen says

    August 23, 2011 at 3:30 pm

    Oh I love pure maple syrup….and love new ways to use it! I remember my first big jug of it from Costco. It hurt!! But now I include it as part of our food budget since I refuse to buy the fake stuff. Even with a family of 5, I can make a big jug last 3 -4 months….maybe even 5….so it all evens out in the end 🙂

    Reply
  4. Jenny says

    August 23, 2011 at 9:16 am

    Yum!

    Reply
  5. Liz @ Tip Top Shape says

    August 23, 2011 at 9:03 am

    Love this!!! I know what I’m doing with the carrots in my refrigerator!!

    Reply
  6. Lauren at Keep It Sweet says

    August 23, 2011 at 8:54 am

    Yum, I love sweet cooked carrots… just like dessert!

    Reply
  7. Estela @ Weekly Bite says

    August 23, 2011 at 8:52 am

    I’ve never roasted carrots before… except when i make a roast.
    I can’t wait to make these!!

    Reply
  8. Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says

    August 23, 2011 at 8:15 am

    These look fabulous! Great way to get kids to eat carrots too

    Reply
  9. brandi says

    August 23, 2011 at 8:06 am

    I have never been a fan of carrots, but they’ve grown on me in the last few years and roasting them is one of the only ways I’ll eat them. I can’t wait to do this in the fall – maple is perfect with them!

    Reply
  10. Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says

    August 23, 2011 at 7:29 am

    Oh my gosh, that is so true about dogs. We only have one and she is the pickiest eater in the universe. She won’t even pick up fruits or vegetables if we try to feed them to her but, at my parent’s house where there are 3 other dogs, she eats that stuff in less than 1 second flat!

    Reply
  11. Jessica @ How Sweet says

    August 23, 2011 at 7:24 am

    This is actually one of my husband’s favorite sides too! What is it with carrots and men?

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. friday five. says:
    September 16, 2011 at 4:46 pm

    […] heather’s maple roasted carrots […]

    Reply

Subscribe



Featured on BlogHer.com




Instagram

For my @fasterwaytofatloss friends, here’s an AM For my @fasterwaytofatloss friends, here’s an AMAZING low-carb day dish: roasted cauliflower with smoked paprika and almonds! It’s so simple to make, incredibly flavorful, and pairs really well with truly any protein. Enjoy!

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH SMOKED PAPRIKA AND ALMONDS
* 1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
* 2 Tbsp olive oil
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 tsp smoked paprika
* 1/2 tsp garlic powder
* 1/2 tsp pepper
* 1/3 cup slivered raw almonds
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Spread the cauliflower florets onto a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Sprinkle evenly with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder, then toss to evenly coat it all.
4. Roast at 375 for 25 minutes, tossing halfway through.
5. When there are 3 minutes left, open the oven and sprinkle the almonds on top.
6. Roast for another 3-4 minutes until the almonds are just lightly toasted, then remove and serve immediately.
Captain’s log: Going on day 174 (give or take) o Captain’s log: Going on day 174 (give or take) of being iced in, virtual schooling, working full time, creating snow day memories, working out, eating healthfully, and trying to remember to wash my face (spoiler: today I did not wash my face. Yet). Getting me through: significantly lower expectations, coffee, and drinking smoothies by the fireplace. If there’s a silver lining in the quarantines from last year it’s that I know now that I can handle much more chaos than I thought I could 🤪
A little #howitstartedvshowitsgoing situation with A little #howitstartedvshowitsgoing situation with my avocado plant! Swipe to see this little guy as a teeny sprout 🌱 

I remember when I wasn’t sure it would sprout at all, and then one day the seed split and there it was! We also hit a point November-January where there was zero growth and I wondered again if it was a waste of time.

Now there are new leaves, new height, and (most importantly) stronger roots, all because of a little patience and care (it’s a metaphor y’all 😆). I find myself excited about the next season where it will be planted in dirt, which will offer new challenges - and growth- of its own. What a blessing to learn such deep lessons from a humble seed!

God, thank you for the little things that show us how much the little things matter. Amen.
Why am I looking away? Simple: because it was the Why am I looking away?

Simple: because it was the best photo out of a billion that I took of myself 🤣 Sometimes it all works, today it didn’t. 

Wanna know what DOES work though? This amazing new deodorant! The biggest question I get about cleaner products is always about which is the best natural deodorant. Friends, I’ve found some decent ones in the past, but this one takes the cake!

And, because I know I’ll get asked, my favorite scents are in this order: Fresh Coconut, Soft Lavender, Clean Rose. The coconut smells like a vacation, and couldn’t we all use a vacay right now? 🏖 Link in the ol’ profile to shop!
🙋🏼‍♀️ Hi, my name is Heather and I str 🙋🏼‍♀️ Hi, my name is Heather and I struggle getting enough protein into my diet. Who else can relate?!

One of my physical health goals this year is to gain lean muscle and get stronger, which means that I need to be getting enough protein in on a daily basis. For me a great source of lean protein is chicken breasts, but if they don’t taste great I’m not having it! So, if this is you, I have a solution for you: BRINE YOUR CHICKEN BREASTS! 

Here’s my fail-proof brine recipe for perfectly flavorful chicken breasts. Cook ‘em however you want - just make sure you brine them first! The difference is enormously worth it!

Recipe is for about 4-6 chicken breasts:
•3 tablespoons kosher salt
•3 tablespoons honey
•2 cups lukewarm water
•2 cups cold water

In a large saucepan bring the first 3 ingredients to a simmer. Remove and stir until the salt is dissolved, then pour in the cold water. IT MUST BE COLD - otherwise the brine will start to cook the chicken breasts! When the mixture is lukewarm, add the chicken breasts, making sure they’re covered in the brine. Cover and refrigerate for 1-6 hours (I recommend 6 if you can). When they’re finished, remove from the brine, rinse, pat dry and cook as desired!
🏃🏼‍♀️Who else is struggling with findi 🏃🏼‍♀️Who else is struggling with finding cardio equipment for their home gym on a budget?

I love running, walking and hiking, but weather, childcare, and a certain global pandemic make consistently getting out to do those kinda difficult. I’ve always enjoyed my #homegym, but quality cardio equipment is expensive! 

So what’s a girl to do?

This past fall I randomly decided to look at steppers, and found this @sunnyhealthfitness one on @walmart for $50! I just wanted something that I could use for 20-30 minutes 4-ish days a week, and it’s been an amazing fit. Would I like a Peloton? Duh, of course. But this has worked so well with the budget and space we have!

What’s your biggest struggle in curating a home gym?
A blurry pickup line photo to tell you I can’t r A blurry pickup line photo to tell you I can’t recommend seeing a counselor or therapist enough. I was weird about it first, felt like my problems weren’t big or messy enough to warrant professional help. And when I did start seeing my counselor I was awkward (this shouldn’t be a surprise). But here we are 4 months later and I’m seeing some incredible life-giving movement. God is so good, and I’m so thankful for friends who normalized counseling and therapy for me!
So. It’s been a while since I posted on the feed So. It’s been a while since I posted on the feed (or really in my stories too). Truthfully I’m still heavily processing the last 2 months, which were preceded by 10 other hard months. Life is brutal and beautiful and next-level hard and a joy, all swirled together. I won’t pretend that everything is OK; it’s not. I’m not.
.
BUT GOD.
.
This past weekend I had a moment of complete clarity and joy and the knowledge that I will be OK. And for that only-God moment I’m so thankful. For all of you who have been praying for our family, who have offered the sweetest words and condolences, who have truly been there, waiting and wading with me through the hard - thank you. God is still good. He is still on his throne. And I am so unwaveringly thankful for that!❤️
Just a couple quick reminders: ⭐️ healthy doe Just a couple quick reminders:

⭐️ healthy doesn’t have to be hard
⭐️ you’re allowed to “mess up”
⭐️ you’re allowed to be multidimensional
⭐️ don’t overcomplicate it 
⭐️ YOU ARE CAPABLE 

I have so many thoughts swirling around in my head these days, and half the time I don’t know which way is up. But I do know this: focusing on simplicity is the name of the game this year for me. It starts with the things I can control: my food intake, moving my body, my thoughts, my actions. The rest will stem from there!

Does anyone even do a word of the year anymore after 2020? If you do I’d love to see you share it below!
Follow @HeathersDish
POPSUGAR Select PLUS

You might also like…

Numero Uno

On Suffering

Rockabye

Luncheon Shrimp & Asaparagus with @RicelandFoods @heathersdish

Creamy Shrimp & Asparagus

Portobello pizzas are a low-carb answer to the comfort food classic. They are easy to prepare, a cinch to bake, and leave you feeling full and satisfied! by @heathersdish

Portobello Pizzas

Copyright © 2021 · Heather Disarro · All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2021 · Heather's Divine Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in