Learn about some side dishes you can make for Easter that are using carrots that are so good you will want to make them for all the holidays, even Flag Day!
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You can listen to this podcast episode below or listen on any of these podcast players - Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts. If you would prefer to read the text, you will find a transcript below.
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Trivia time. What is my favorite vegetable to serve alongside ham for Easter dinner. I will get you a moment to think about.
If you said carrots, you are correct. I think the sweetness of a carrot goes well with the saltiness of a ham.
We have several different carrots recipes on the blog that would work well for Easter. You will be able to get the full recipes by clicking on the links in the show notes page.
Buttery Roasted Carrots | Get the recipe
Butter and carrots go so well together. While I am not a nutritionist I have heard many people talk about how some of the nutrition offered by carrots is fat soluble, which means you need to eat them accompanied by fat for your body to absorb them.
For this recipe, you take the carrots, slice them on the bias, which is slicing them at an angle. Place them on a sheet pan. Add a whole stick of melted butter and then roast the carrots. Them come out soft and some of that butter browns and becomes oh so delicious.
I love using different colored carrots for this or even mixing in some parsnips.
Sous Vide Butter Poached Carrots | Get the recipe
Another way I cook carrots in butter is via sous vide. You add the sliced carrot and cubes of cold butter to a bag and seal it, then cook it for and then cook it for 183 degrees for 1 hour 30 minutes (note in the episode I mistakenly said 189 degrees for 1 hour).
Honey Tarragon Carrots | Get the recipe
If you don't have the oven space or a sous vide machine, then you can boil the carrots. Keep a close eye on them so they don't overcook and become mushy. When the carrots are done I like to drizzle them with honey. A dark honey like dark wildflower or buckwheat honey that has a more assertive flavor is best. Then I like to chop up some fresh tarragon to add to the carrots. Tarragon has a licorice, herby flavor that I believe pairs well with carrots. if you have never tried this herb before this is a great place to start.
Quinoa with Diced Carrots | Get the recipe
Do you like quinoa? Then I suggest you try our Quinoa recipe that includes diced carrots. The sweetness of the carrots is pairs nicely with any bitter notes of the quinoa. This is a hardy side dish that is easy to make and is great for those that have never had quinoa but are willing to give it a try.
🛒 Before You Checkout
What you need to know before you checkout at the grocery store or market:
You can use baby carrots in any of our recipes, but whole carrots will provide better flavor and are cheaper per pound. You can peel the whole carrots of any of our recipes but I actually stopped doing that and found that I didn't really mind or care they were not peeled. So why add the extra step?
I love buying the bags of different colored carrots. They usually include some combo of orange, purple, white, and yellow. Red carrots are my favorite but they are harder to find. Now you will pay more money for these carrots. Each color does taste different so you will produce a more interesting dish not only in flavor but in color if you use them.
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