Of all of the Food Network stars, I think Ina Garten is my favorite. She is so down to earth, creates simple and delicious recipes, and I just love how her and her husband Jeffery interact.
Ina’s latest book, Cooking For Jeffrey, is another winner! I have tried several of the recipes, and they are all very tasty.
One of my favorites is actually better suited for a Fall meal, but it is so great that I make it all year round. It’s the Maple-Roasted Carrot Salad. I adapted the recipe slightly for my taste (see the recipe below). The carrots are roasted in maple syrup, and are as sweet as candy. The combination of sweetness and saltiness is a real winner.
This time, I did not have the Marcona almonds and substituted them with toasted walnuts. It was just as delicious as the original addition.
I served this with Mustard Maple Pork Tenderloin from Eating Well Test Kitchen. It was easy and only took a short time to prepare. The pan is deglazed with a combination of vinegar, mustard and maple syrup. I think that I will try Ina’s Cider-Roasted Pork Tenderloin next time. It has fennel seeds, coriander, and cinnamon with a touch of ginger.
I probably could have added another vegetable or starch to the meal, but with the carrots, goat cheese, nuts and arugula, this made a complete meal with the pork tenderloin.
Maple-Roasted Carrot Salad
- April 18, 2019
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots
- Good olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup pure Grade A maple syrup
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries
- 2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
- 5 - 6 tablespoons olive oil (the recipe calls for 3 tablespoons. I felt the dressing needed more olive oil)
- 2 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane (I used one large garlic clove)
- 6 ounces baby arugula (I used more)
- 6 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- 2/3 cup roasted, salted Marcona almonds
Directions
- Step 1
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Step 2
- Trim and scrub the carrots. If carrots are more than 1 inch in diameter, cut them in half lengthwise.
- Step 3
- Cut carrots in large diagonal slices 1 inch wide – 2 inches long (they will shrink when they roast)
- Step 4
- Place carrots in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- Step 5
- Toss well and transfer to two sheet pans
- Step 6
- Roast carrots for 20 minutes, tossing once until tender
- Step 7
- Transfer all carrots to one sheet pan and add the maple syrup
- Step 8
- Toss carrots in maple syrup
- Step 9
- Roast for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the edges are carmelized
- Step 10
- Set aside for 10 minutes
- Step 11
- Meanwhile, combine the cranberries and orange juice in a small saucepan
- Step 12
- Bring cranberries and orange juice to a simmer
- Step 13
- Set cranberries aside for 10 minutes to cool
- Step 14
- In a small bowl, combine vinegar, garlic, salt and olive oil and whisk to emulsify
- Step 15
- Place the arugula in a large bowl and top with carrots, cranberries (with their liquid), goat cheese, nuts, and the vinaigrette
- Step 16
- Toss with large spoons, sprinkle with salt, and serve at room temperature
- Step 17
- Enjoy!
My name is Kim and my passion is surrounding myself, family, and friends in a life of luxury. Each week, I’ll share with you new tips and recipes to create a luxurious life .