Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Bugs isn’t the only one who can benefit from carrots!
Bugs Bunny loves carrots but we should too! It is common knowledge that eating carrots is great for your eye sight, but they have so much more to offer! Believe it or not it is carrot season in North Carolina, generally we think of carrots mostly at Easter, but carrots are readily available year round and very good for you!! If you don’t keep carrots in your fridge all year…then you should. Carrots can be used in a variety of ways to boost your health. Of course, they can be eaten any way from the crunchy raw snack to the gourmet recipe, or just as a healthy addition to a variety of recipes. The benefits are numerous. Fresh carrots can be found this time of year at our local Farmer’s Market, but all year long in your local grocery.
Carrots
-Improves Vision, this one we got, as a youngster we are taught that carrots will give you good eyesight! Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the liver. Vitamin A is transformed in the retina, a purple pigment necessary for night vision.
-Aid Preventing Cancer, studies have shown carrots reduce the risk of lung cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer.
-Slows Down Aging, the high level of beta-carotene acts as an antioxidant to cell damage done to the body through regular metabolism. It help slows down the aging of cells.
-Promotes Glowing Skin, Vitamin A and antioxidants protect the skin from sun damage. Deficiencies of vitamin A cause dryness to the skin, hair and nails. Vitamin A prevents premature wrinkling, acne, dry skin, pigmentation, blemishes, and uneven skin tone.
-May Prevent Infection, Carrots are known by herbalists to prevent infection. They can be used on cuts – shredded raw or boiled and mashed.
-Prevents Heart Disease, Studies show that diets high in carotenoids are associated with a lower risk of heart disease. Carrots have not only beta-carotene but also alpha-carotene and lutein. The regular consumption of carrots also reduces cholesterol levels.
-Promotes Dental Health. The process of eating a carrot aids in cleaning your teeth and your mouth. They scrape off plaque and food particles just like toothbrushes or toothpaste. Carrots stimulate gums and trigger a lot of saliva, which being alkaline, balances out the acid-forming, cavity-forming bacteria. The minerals in carrots prevent tooth damage.
Old-Fashioned Carrot Salad
For the Salad
1 pound carrots
¼ cup parsley
1 shallot, finely chopped
5 pineapple slices, cut into chunks, or crushed pineapple
For the Dressing
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon local honey
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
For the salad, finely chop shallot and parsley.
Peel, then grate the carrots using a, food processor with a shredding disc with small holes., a box grater, or a Julienne peeler.
Add veggies to a bowl. Chop pineapple slices into bite size chunks. Add to bowl.
For the dressing, in a small bowl, add extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper. Whisk fast until emulsified.
Pour dressing over salad and toss well. Let the flavors meld by refrigerating for 15 minutes up to 2 hours before serving.
Who Doesn’t Love Carrot Cake Smoothie
3 medium carrots, peeled
1 1/2 bananas, frozen in chunks (trust me, if you haven’t ever frozen bananas, peel them first! I learned the hard way)
1 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup plain 0% Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 cup ice
Add all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until smooth
Serve immediately. Yields 2 smoothies.
Baked Carrot Chips
2 pounds carrots (pick the fattest carrots you can find)
1/4 cup Olive oil
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line several large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Trim the carrot tops off. Starting on the thick end slice the carrots paper-thin on the bias to create elongated slices. You can do this with a chef's knife, but it's better to use a mandolin slicer on the smallest setting. When you get down to the thin end, stop and save them to use in soup or salad.
Place the carrot slices in a large bowl and add the oil, salt, cumin, and cinnamon. Toss well to thoroughly coat. Then lay the slices in a single layer on the baking sheets.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges start to curl up and turn crisp. Then flip all the chips over and bake another 5-8 minutes to crisp the bottoms. Once cool, store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Serves 8, each serving contains; Calories 107, Fat 7 g., Cholesterol 0 mg., Sodium 950 mg., Potassium 367 mg., Carbohydrates 11 g., Protein 1 g.
Parmesan Carrot Fries
3 large carrots, peeled, quartered, and cut into equally sized quarter-inch thick strips
1½ tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Parmesan, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Arrange the carrot strips on a parchment-lined baking sheet so that no two are overlapping. Using a basting brush, coat the tops of each strip with the olive oil. Sprinkle the thyme and garlic over the fries. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook the fries about 10-12 minutes, or until the fries are easily pierced with a fork. Immediately after removing from the oven, sprinkle the fries with Parmesan. Serve.
Serves 2, each serving contains; Calories 163, Fat 12 g., Cholesterol 5 mg., Sodium 431 mg., Carbohydrates 11 g., Protein 3 g.
Pork Chops with Cabbage and Carrots
4, 6-ounce, pork chop cutlets
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped green and red cabbage (I have used sharp head when available)
1 ½ cups diagonally sliced carrot
1/3 cup unsalted chicken broth
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Sprinkle pork chops evenly with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Melt butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Add pork chops; cook 4 minutes per side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan, cover to keep warm.
Add cabbage, carrots, remaining salt and pepper. Stir in stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen brown bits. Cover and place pan in oven. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes or until carrots are tender.
Remove cabbage mixture from pan, cover to keep warm. Add vinegar, orange marmalade, and oil to pan, bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook 3 minutes or until slightly reduced and smooth, stirring with a whisk. Divide pork chops and cabbage mixture among 4 plates. Drizzle evenly with vinegar mixture.
Serves 4, each serving contains; Calories 310, Fat 16 g., Protein 24 g., Carbohydrates 17 g., Fiber 2 g., Cholesterol 78 g., Sodium 459 mg.
Hearty Carrot Soup
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
5 cups chopped carrots
2 cups water
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
½ cup half and half
½ teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Heat butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until butter melts. Add onion and celery, cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and thyme, cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
Stir in carrots. Add water and broth, bring to a lively simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until tender, about 25 minutes.
Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. Stir in half and half, and salt and pepper.
**Of course, I did this soup in the Crock Pot, cooked ingredients about 3 hours on high until the carrots were tender.
Serving size, 2 cups, each serving contains; Calories 176, Fat 8 g., Protein 7 g., Carbohydrates 21 g., Fiber 5 g., Cholesterol 7 g., Sodium 486 mg.
Ginger-Carrot Pineapple Cake
(Adapted from an Eat This Not That recipe)
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups finely shredded carrots (about 5 medium)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ teaspoon salt
1 7-ounce jar marshmallow crème
Thin carrot ribbons and fresh pineapple chunks, optional topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Grease paper, lightly flour pans.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together flours, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt.
In a medium bowl, combine carrots, eggs, pineapple, sugar and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir until combined. Divide batter between prepared pans, spreading evenly.
Bake 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool layers in pans for 10 minutes. Remove layers from pans, discard paper. Cool completely on wire racks.
For the frosting, in a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and ¼ teaspoon salt until light and fluffy. Beat in marshmallow crème until smooth.
Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Frost with ½ of the frosting. Place the second cake layer on frosting. Frost top with remaining frosting. Cover and chill cake at least 2 hours before serving. Top with fresh carrot shreds or ribbons and wedges of fresh pineapple, if desired.
Simple Carrot Pineapple Orange Juice
3 medium carrots
½ small ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into pieces
1 large orange, peeled, and cut into pieces
Add carrots, pineapple, and orange, one at a time to juicer. Juice until smooth, serve. I used a Bullet to make the juice.
Carrot Rice
1 cup basmati rice (I substituted brown rice)
¼ cup roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon margarine
1 onion, cut into slices
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
¾ cup grated carrots
Salt to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh cilantro
Prepare rice according to directions.
Meanwhile, grind peanuts in a blender and set aside. Heat the margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, cook and stir until the onion has softened an turned golden brown about 10 minutes. Stir in ginger and carrots and salt to taste. Reduce heat to low and cover to steam, about 5 minutes. Stir in cayenne pepper and peanuts. When rice is done, add to skillet and stir gently to combine with other ingredients. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
**I used brown rice that I previously cooked, and prepared this recipe on the griddle.
Not Your Cafeteria Peas and Carrots
1 tablespoon canola oil
½ teaspoon light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
12 ounces carrots, cut into small rounds (or you may use a bag of small carrots)
1 ¾ cups snow peas
¼ teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Combine oil, brown sugar, cumin, red pepper, and carrots on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes. Add snow peas to pan, bake 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly brown. Sprinkle with salt.
Serves 4, each serving contains; Calories 84, Fat 4 g., Protein 2 g., Carbohydrates 11 g., Fiber 3 g., Cholesterol 0 g., Sodium 140 mg.
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