Roasted Carrots with Orange Glaze and Toasted Almonds

The next in our series of Healthy Thanksgiving Sides is one you might not readily think of when planning your menu. Green beans seem to be the vegetable of choice on the big day (at least if the empty bins at the grocery store are any indication). Brussels sprouts are probably the universal second choice. Nonetheless, this roasted carrots dish deserves a spot on your table, especially if you are traveling to Thanksgiving and need to make your dish in advance.

To make this, baby carrots are roasted in a sweet glaze  of brown sugar and orange marmalade and then tossed with toasted sliced almonds and fresh parsley for a dish that holds its own next to turkey and mashed potatoes.

If you do  make this in advance, don’t add the almonds and parsley until the last minute!

 

Roasted Carrots with Orange Glaze and Toasted Almonds

adapted from Cook’s Illustrated: The Best Make-Ahead Recipes

 

serves 12

 

Ingredients:

3 pounds baby carrots

1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar

1/3 cup orange marmalade

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

salt & freshly ground pepper

pinch cayenne pepper

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

 

Directions:

1. Toast almonds in advance. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring often. Watch closely and remove from oven as soon as they are golden.

2. For carrots: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place oven rack on lowest position so that you can use the upper part of your oven for another dish. Spray a nonstick rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread the carrots over the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar, marmalade, butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake on lower rack, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes or until the butter is melted and the sauce is bubbling.

3. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender and glazed, about 20-30 minutes.

4. Transfer to a serving bowl and stir in the almonds and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

 

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Just accept the compliment already

When someone tells you “You look terrific!” what is your conditioned response? Most of us have perfected the art of deflection when gifted with a genuine compliment. “Who, me?” or “This old thing?” or even “You must be blind!”

How about when you do a fabulous job running an event or leading a project or making a meal?  You hear, “What a great job you did!” and you respond, “It was nothing.” “I could have done more if I’d had more time.” “It was so much better the last time.”

It’s such a shame.  There are so many times that no one recognizes your hard work in putting together an outfit, or perfecting your recipe for coq au vin, or diligently shedding some unwanted pounds. Most days we just exert effort with no one noticing. On those days, we’re wishing someone would recognize our efforts, and when they finally do? We brush off their compliment like a piece of lint. Why?!

For some people it’s a self-esteem issue – they truly cannot believe that they deserve praise. But for others it’s simply a conditioned response. Somewhere along the way they came to believe that denying a compliment was the modest thing to do. Not so! Rejecting a compliment hurts two people  – you and the person kind enough to bestow the praise! It’s like handing back an unopened gift and saying, “No thank you. I don’t want this.” You’d never do that would you?

The next time someone graces you with a compliment, try a simple “Thank you for saying that! It means a lot to me coming from you.” They’ll leave the encounter rewarded for their kindness and if you let their words sink in, you’ll leave uplifted and encouraged. Who among us couldn’t use  a little more of those gifts?

 

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Maple-Roasted Butternut Squash

Continuing with our series of Healthy-and-Delicious Thanksgiving sides, here’s a terrific addition from Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa fame. This recipe should serve 8-12, but with so many dishes on the table at the holidays you may be able to stretch it even further.

Butternut squash’s flavor profile is a bit chameleon-like. It can be sweetened up practically to dessert level if cooked with fruit, or it can be made more savory by adding other accompaniments like onions and herbs. In this rendition, roasted garlic, sage and pancetta give it a salty kick. The garlic cloves are left in their skins and can be squeezed out like soft butter onto slices of French bread (especially if you’re serving this sometime other than Thanksgiving).

 

Maple-Roasted Butternut Squash

adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

 

serves 8-12

 

Ingredients:

2 large butternut squash, peeled and seeded, cut into 3/4 to 1-inch cubes (This can be done a day in advance.)

2 heads garlic, separated into cloves but not peeled

4 tablespoons olive oil

5 tablespoons pure maple sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped

32 whole fresh sage leaves

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place the squash and garlic in a large bowl. Toss with the olive oil, maple sugar, salt, and pepper. Spread out evenly on two large rimmed baking sheets. Place in oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the squash begins to brown, turning once during baking.

3. Sprinkle the pancetta and sage leaves evenly over the butternut squash in both pans and return to the oven. Bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the squash and garlic are tender and caramelized. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired.

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