Honey Carrots & Close-Ups

One of my favorite things about my new kitchen is the lighting.  Before?  Cave-like.  After?  Bright and airy.  The difference is amazing and I cut myself much less often while chopping vegetables.  These pictures were taken at 5:30 at night with no flash and no overhead lights.  I was using my 18-55mm lens.  What a difference!  Sooo much brighter in here.  I will post before and after pictures just as soon as we get a few more of the finishing details done.

But speaking of vegetables… …I like carrots.  They are easy to cook, a beautiful color, versatile, and they are just as good cooked as they are raw.  We eat fresh carrot sticks quite often so when I make them for dinner, I want them to be a little special.  Sometimes I roast them, but the best is glazed with honey.

I know what you are going to say:  everything is fantastic glazed in honey.  And you are pretty much correct.  Especially on carrots.  I prefer it over brown sugar any day.  Instead of coating the vegetable in a super sweet syrup that masks the flavor, a light drizzle of honey seems to make the carrots themselves, sweeter.  And that is all I do.  A drizzle of honey.

So take your carrots, and… Honey Carrots

Cut your carrots into bite sized pieces, either short matchsticks or discs.  Add them to a large saute pan with a lid and just a splash of water.  The carrots above made about 2 c of carrots for supper and I added about 1/4 c of water to the pan.  If you have a ton of carrots, add a bit more water.  Put the lid on and let the veggies steam over medium heat.  Check them after a few minutes to see if they are done and to make sure the pan hasn’t gone completely dry.  If you poke them with a fork and they are crisp tender, drain off any excess water.  If they aren’t done yet and the water is gone, add a splash more and put the lid back on.  My carrots are usually done right about the time all the water has evaporated.  Put them back on the heat, minus the lid, and add a very small pat of butter (about a tsp), a sprinkle of salt and pepper and a healthy drizzle of honey.  Just a tablespoon or so.  Toss it all together over medium heat for just a few minutes.  You want everything to melt together and get hot.  Serve immediately.

Note: Fresh chopped rosemary would be a fantastic addition to this.