Carrots are among the cheapest vegetables you can buy, and now, in autumn, I love to bulk-buy them to make cosy dinners like soups, stews or even casseroles. They are an easy way to add a pop of colour as well as fibre and vitamins to any meal for only a couple of pennies, but carrots can often taste quite boring if you are just boiling them.
I used to always boil my vegetables because I thought it was the quickest way to cook them, as I usually cannot be bothered fussing around the kitchen after working all day. However, this would just result in soggy carrots that would look grey in the water and taste of nothing, so I would end up with food I forced myself to eat rather than enjoying it. I have now got a lot better at cooking and discovered a much better way to cook carrots: they are much tastier when roasted with a spoonful of honey.
Boiling carrots might be convenient, but it can cause many of their natural sugars to dissolve into the water, which is why they often taste so bland.
Not only does boiling carrots ruin their flavour, but a lot of the vitamins they contain are water-soluble, meaning they will leach into the water, so carrots end up less nutritious
Roasting carrots helps preserve them better, and using a little bit of honey will also deepen their sweetness, so you end up with a richer and more enhanced taste.
Honey will also help the carrots caramelise and crisp up in the oven, so they have a better crunch when you bite into them, rather than the soggy mess they turn into when boiled.
I love roasting carrots, as it is still a hands-free way to cook them, but they end up much more appetising, so they become a dish you look forward to eating in the evening rather than a vegetable you force yourself to eat.
All you need to do is wash your carrots, then cut them in half and then slice them vertically. They will have crisper edges compared to your typical coin-shaped carrots.
Next, place the carrots in a large bowl and drizzle them with honey, olive oil, salt and pepper. I also like to add thyme and garlic powder, but you can add any other seasonings you wish.
Mix the carrots carefully until they are fully coated in the glaze, and then place them on a roasting tray. Overall, it will take about three minutes or even less to prepare them.
Then, place them in the oven and toast at 200°C for 15 to 20 minutes. You will know they are ready when the carrots are golden brown with lots of mouthwatering caramelised spots.
