What is simple, colorful, flavorsome and used in cooking & baking?
The Stunning Carrot!
Do you see carrots as a hero vegetable? You could say they have super powers yet how would you know without a label to tell you. What a shame, if carrots did come with a nutrition label PLUS marketing messages here is what I think you would see;
Carrots are a good source of vitamins and minerals!
Carrots are extremely low in fat!
Carrots are a component of a healthy diet.
Now turn the carrot over and lets see what is on the back panel:
The nutrition facts for two small-to-medium raw carrots (100 grams) are:
- Calories: 41
- Water: 88%
- Protein: 0.9 grams
- Carbs: 9.6 grams
- Sugar: 4.7 grams
- Fiber: 2.8 grams
- Fat: 0.2 grams
Carbs in the form of – starch and sugars
Sugar in the form of sucrose and glucose
Fiber in the form of pectin { a soluble fibre} and cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin {insoluble fibre}@
@Soluble fibre helps lower blood sugar levels by slowing down your digestion of sugar and starch.
Insoluble fibre helps reduce constipation
And the vitamin and mineral content is also worthy of mention, look at all you get in just two carrots!
| Vitamin A | promotes good vision and is important for growth, development, and immune function |
| Biotin: A B vitamin | plays an important role in fat and protein metabolism |
| Vitamin K1 | important for blood coagulation |
| Potassium | important for blood pressure control |
| Vitamin B6 | involved in the conversion of food into energy |
Would agree, carrots are a rather good vegetable to have on hand.
However, I don’t think there are enough recipes that allow carrots to show off. Carrots are still seen as things to hold dip, add to recipes for flavour, used as a side dish, but never as the star of its own show. What if there was a recipe that allow the humble carrot to be the star. I recently found such a recipe – Carrot Sung Choi Boa. The recipe was perfect for a party I hosted over the weekend. The guests loved it, I loved it and my husband loved it. I know you will love it too, so I have included the recipe here for you!
Now that you know what a kick *** vegetable carrots are, will you use them more in your daily cooking? Maybe you need some ideas to help your own creative juices going – here are some ways I use carrots:
- Roasted whole to be use as a side dish or for salads
- Grated, to be added to any thing like meat loaf, pasta sauce, and salads (adding fibre ).
- Cut into different shapes for different uses – coins, baton (carrot sticks), spiral (for noodles), thin match sticks, diced (mirepoix) for stocks and stews.
- Healthy snack.
- You can turn them into soup, dips, or juice, bake into a cake, turn into fritter, or plant-based filling for Sung Choi Bao
I discovered this recipe while looking for a menu item for a party. The original recipe I came across was by Jacqueline Alwill from her website The Brown Paper Bag. The photo I used here is also from that same website. The changes I made were to swap out the quinoa for cauliflower and broccoli rice with minced mushrooms added. The Topping was changed from peanuts to hemp and sesame seeds in an effort to keep this nut free.
- Or use with other left over vegetables, like cherry tomatoes and zucchini and create a whole meal like I did after my party.
Am I going to be a soup, pasta sauce, or…..
I turn 500 grams carrots + one onion + garlic + 2 zucchinis + 300g of cherry tomatoes and 1 tin of chickpeas into a vegetable tagine. All vegetables were saved from going to waste!
Stunning vegetables saved from going to waste!
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Black bean Burger that will rock your taste buds! New recipe from Patricia of Warmly Nourished.
Making a burger with black beans is so easy and so yummy. If you don't want to serve them as a burger, you could use them as a base for a salad, or as a wrap. I am sure you will think of so many ideas to create meal ideas. They also make a great addition as a lunch box meal for kids and adults - can can be eaten cold.
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Sunflower Seed Falafel
This recipe was inspired by my research into selenium and the desire to ensure I was consuming a diet rich in this mineral. Normally, Falafel is made with Chickpeas, which are lovely also, and fried. This recipe replaces the chickpeas and you bake it in the oven, tasty and healthy too – #REAL #FOOD.
Sunflower Seed Falafel
I love this recipe as do most of the people I have introduced to it. You serve them as part of a brunch, lunch, dinner or finger food for a party. They are easy to make and freeze well. I love that you bake these in the oven instead of frying. I hope you enjoy!
Asparagus and Pea Risotto
Wonderful Spring Vegetable, easy to prepare and wonderful to eat.
Spring is in the air and the markets are full of wonderful Asparagus! Asparagus is versatile and goes well with peas and arborio rice - which is why I created this dish, Asparagus and Pea Risotto. You can also enjoy it in a number of other ways... wonderful grilled and added to salads, blanched and served with poached eggs or just on its own with a pinch of salt and little extra virgin olive oil.
Kale, Apple and Shiitake Salad with Pecans
Great salad, and good for your liver too.
The combination of these ingredients really awaken your taste buds; trust me you will want to make this recipe over and over. You could change out the apple for pear or peach when they come into season. The pecans can also be changed for walnuts, hazelnuts or even almonds. Have fun making this salad it's a winner.
Patricia Frederick
