Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

There's now an uproar if there's not a side of vegetables on the plate at dinner. (Who would have guessed this? Not me.) However, I'm very supportive of our move toward more vegetables. It's good for both of us, especially since our food can seem limited if we don't mix it up all the time.

That leaves us with all sorts of opportunities to try new veggie sides. And keep up with ones I've made before. This is a family classic, because it's so easy and it tickles my toes how sweet carrots become with some heat. The traditional approach to glazed carrots uses butter, and we can't have that in this dairy free household, now can we?

February has also come and my use of things in the kitchen that are bright orange is an all-time high. Mandarin oranges, carrots, sweet potatoes (roasted in the oven with leeks!) and the ever-present bowl of clementines on the counter are fixtures in the kitchen.

I've found that you can make these with just a touch of coconut oil. You don't need very much, especially because it doesn't have quite the same caramelizing effect that butter can achieve. You can still see in the photo, though, how it creates these tiny crisp edges on the carrot. Like little orange stained-glass windows in the light. Oooh.

You do want to salt these to taste. I used to wonder what that meant, but it turns out it's actually really easy. You taste the food. Grab a fork and get a bite of a carrot. If you can't taste the sweetness of the brown sugar, it's not that you need more, it's actually that you need a little more salt to magnify the flavor of the brown sugar. Grab the sea salt and give it a few grinds into the carrots, stir until the salt is mixed around, and taste again. Behold, salting to taste. It's genius.

Last Year: Candied Lemon Slices
Two Years Ago: Gluten Free Graham Crackers (and some s'mores)
Three Years Ago: Simple Chicken Noodle Soup

Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
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4 large carrots (or 2 carrots per person, for a side dish)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon coconut oil
salt to taste

Wash carrots, there's no need to peel them. Slice them into 1/4 inch pieces on the bias, or at a diagonal, to maximize the surface area. On the stove, boil water in a small saucepan and add carrots. Boil for 8-10 minutes, or until the carrots are just beginning to soften.

Drain the water, and put the carrots back into the same saucepan. Add the brown sugar and coconut oil, and stir until both are combined and warmed. Then, salt to taste (as explained above).