I have a confession to make. I like to pretend that I a chef on the Food Network. I like to pretend that I create these super simple recipes that any regular Joe Schmoe could make, and I have lots of fun doing it. The reality of that is, I watch a lot of cooking shows, and something sticks in my head until I get it out. This is one of those really simple sides that I had to try, mostly because my children hate carrots. Yes. There is food that they hate. I figured that sweetening them would encourage them to eat them, and like the awesome mom that I am – I was right. I won’t tell you that they HAD to see the brown sugar going into the skillet in order to be convinced that they were indeed sweet. Buggers. I also had to keep calling them GLAZED carrots and not just “carrots” in order to give them a more gourmet feel. The things that we have to do for certain foods. I just find it trippy that they LOVE brussels sprouts, but have an issue with carrots in general.
This recipe for glazed carrots is very simple, but there are two steps, thus you will need two cooking utensils. You’ll need to blanch baby carrots first – DO NOT PEEL THEM – then glaze them. The trick is to trim the stalks, wash the dirt off, and drop them in salty boiling water for 3-5 minutes – don’t leave, do not go and check on laundry, and wait to use the bathroom, because as soon as that 3-5 minutes is up, you need to remove them pronto and drop them in an ice bath. When I did mine, the outer skin immediately started sloughing off, and that left me with super bright orange carrots. I felt like a chef that should be yelling at all of the cooks in the kitchen.
The glaze came together in a large skillet that I was able to toss the carrots in. It consisted of brown sugar, butter, lemon juice, garlic, a little cayenne pepper and a bit of water. I let it work its way together until it became like syrup and then tossed the carrots in it.
This was a perfect side dish with the lamb that I served it with. Sweet, bright, with a little kick of cayenne. There were no measurements given in the recipe, so I eyeballed everything. I would say that it was about a half cup of brown sugar, 4 tablespoons of butter, a pinch or two of cayenne, two or three cloves of garlic, 1/8 cup of water, and a juiced lemon. Then you get what’s pictured in this blog. Sweet, sticky goodness, that your kids will actually eat.
If you haven’t noticed, I’m also practicing a bit of my food photography in this series. I realize that my props are severely lacking, but that won’t stop me from taking photos anytime soon. So there you have it. The appetizer from yesterday, and your side dish today. Tune in tomorrow for the main dish, Thursday for the specialty drink, and Friday for dessert.
Do you cook Valentine’s Day dinner, or go out? Why not do something different this year and surprise those you love?
These look delicious! I may have to pass up my standard glazed carrots recipe to give yours a try.