Roasted Carrots with Lemon or Orange Glaze

This recipe is perfect for the nights when I don't have any other vegetable in the house besides a bag of baby carrots. As long as I have a lemon or an orange on hand, I can make these roasted carrots, and the girls and Michael are sure to like them. I got the idea from a recipe I found for roasted carrots with lemon dressing. The original recipe uses lemon zest and juice, but I discovered that the carrots taste just as good with orange zest and juice, so I make whichever will taste better with the rest of the dinner.

Roasted Carrots with Lemon or Orange Glaze
serves 2 adults and 2 small children

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb. baby carrots (1 small bag)
  
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 2 tsp. honey (or 3 tsp. if you prefer it a bit sweeter)
• 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (OR orange juice from a naval orange)
• zest from 1/2 lemon (OR 1 tsp. orange zest)

Instructions:

Take the baby carrots out of the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Rinse the carrots and dry them with a towel. If any of the carrots are thicker than your pinkie finger, cut them in half. Transfer the carrots to a medium-size bowl and pour the olive oil over them. Toss them with the olive oil and spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Cover the baking sheet tightly with aluminum foil and put the pan in the oven for 15 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake until the carrots are browned and tender, stirring them every 10 minutes. This will take about 20 to 30 minutes.

If you are pressed for time, move the tray to the upper-middle rack position and increase the temperature to 450 degrees. Then it should take less time, but check the carrots more frequently to avoid having some get charred. The other trick for reducing the preparation time is, while the oven is preheating, to microwave the oil-covered carrots until they are tender. Then roast the carrots uncovered on the upper-middle oven rack.

While the carrots are roasting, zest the lemon or orange. Squeeze the juice of the lemon or orange through a strainer and into a cup. In a small bowl whisk together the zest, 2 tablespoons juice, salt, and honey. Set the glaze aside until the carrots are ready.

When the carrots are done, transfer them to a serving bowl. Pour the glaze over the carrots, toss to coat, and serve.