Tag Archives: carrots

Creamed Carrots

I recently came across an Instagram reel from Corre Larkin for Julia Child-inspired creamed carrots. I’m always at a loss for how to serve cooked carrots and this recipe is a game changer. It is so flavorful and satisfying. The carrots are coated in silky, tangy gravy. Gravy is liquid of the gods!

Since her video doesn’t list the exact measurements, I tried finding the original recipe in my copy of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” and it’s quite different from how Corre Larkin made them. Julia Child’s Carrotes à la Crème recipe has fewer ingredients and a lot more cream.

So I came up with my own version of these recipes. This side dish is perfect for a Costco rotisserie chicken night. Whatever jus has gathered in the bag I add with the chicken stock. I put the chicken in a 200F oven while I make the carrots so the bird stays warm.

Creamed Carrots à la Corre Larkin à la Julia Child

Serves 4
Total Prep and Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 onion, halved and sliced into half-moons
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 pounds carrots, peeled
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 tablespoons sake or white wine
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1-inch sprig of fresh rosemary (optional)
  • 2-3 cups chicken stock
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons cream
  • pinch of nutmeg

Directions:

In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the onion slices, salt and pepper to taste and the bay leaves. Stir till everything is coated in the butter. Turn heat to medium low, cover and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft.

In the meantime, trim the ends off the carrots and cut them oblique style.

When the onions are soft, add the carrots and stir till they are coated. Cover and cook another 10 minutes.

Add the flour and stir so it’s coating the ingredients. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the sake or white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the thyme, rosemary and enough stock to just cover the carrots. You don’t want them swimming in stock. Stir until the flour has been incorporated into the stock. Turn up the heat to bring to a simmer, then turn back down, cover and cook for another 10 minutes or until the carrots are tender.

Remove the cover, add the vinegar, cream, and nutmeg, and let simmer for 5 minutes to thicken slightly.

Remove the bay leaves, thyme and rosemary and serve immediately.

Easy sweet potato carrot soup

Today is a soup day. It’s rainy, grey and I just want to stay inside. Plus, after recently having major surgery, I’m on a limited diet of soft foods. When I noticed I had a couple of sweet potatoes in my pantry I decided to use them to make a blended, flavorful soup.

I’m not much of a soup chef. I have my minestrone, but that takes a lot of chopping. When a friend brought me some butternut squash soup last week she said all she did was roast everything and put it in a blender with some stock. Easy peasy.

This soup is sweet, savory and slightly creamy. Perfect for a day like today.

Easy sweet potato carrot soup with sage and cream cheese | A delicious blended soup recipe from Alaskaknitnat.com

Easy sweet potato carrot soup

Serves 5

Easy sweet potato carrot soup with sage and cream cheese | A delicious blended soup recipe from Alaskaknitnat.com

Ingredients:

  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 3 carrots
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 8 fresh sage leaves
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 4 oz. Neufchâtel cheese (or cream cheese)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel the carrots. Place the carrots and the whole sweet potatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for one hour. Remove the carrots and place the whole, peeled garlic cloves in the pan. Roast another 15 minutes or until garlic is golden brown.

Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a pan and sauté the onions until translucent, about 7 minutes. Roughly tear up the sage and place in the pan. Sauté for another 2 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.

Easy sweet potato carrot soup with sage and cream cheese | A delicious blended soup recipe from Alaskaknitnat.com

After the sweet potatoes have cooled slightly it should be easy to remove the skins. Chop them into rough pieces and place in a blender with the carrots, garlic, onions and sage. Add 2 cups of stock and blend for a few minutes, scraping down the sides if necessary.

Easy sweet potato carrot soup with sage and cream cheese | A delicious blended soup recipe from Alaskaknitnat.com

Put contents in a soup pot and add remaining cup of stock. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Easy sweet potato carrot soup with sage and cream cheese | A delicious blended soup recipe from Alaskaknitnat.com

A few minutes before serving stir in the cream cheese until melted and well combined. Serve with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan.

Easy sweet potato carrot soup with sage and cream cheese | A delicious blended soup recipe from Alaskaknitnat.com

Roasted Carrots in a Honey Dijon Rosemary Glaze

Recently I’ve been poking around online newspapers from the little villages around Alaska. Something I’ve noticed is that they frequently feature recipes sent in from the locals.

I came across a glazed carrots recipe from a radio station in Petersburg, Alaska (population 3,000). I really want to give the station all the credit, but upon closer Google inspection, I discovered it was taken from The Healthy Foodie blog.

My dad was roasting a leg of lamb and had first dibs on the oven, which was set at 350 degrees. So I opted to use the gas grill as an oven. The temperature wasn’t consistent, but the carrots turned out perfectly caramelized, garlicky, mustardy and a delicious side dish for lamb.

Here’s the link to the original blog post, since I’d like to give credit where it’s due. Also, her photos are a heck of a lot better than mine.

Roasted Carrots in a Honey Dijon Rosemary Glaze

Ingredients:
 1 pound medium sized carrots
 2 Tbs. olive oil
 2 Tbs. honey
 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
 1 Tbs. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
 2 cloves garlic, minced
 salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Brush the carrots under running water. Cut them in half lengthwise and crosswise and set them aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, honey, mustard, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the reserved carrots. Toss to coat evenly and spread in a single layer in a shallow baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  • Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once or twice, until the carrots are tender and golden.