As a child, I actively disliked carrots.
My Mother, who was a fan of correctly-cooked vegetables, was not to blame. She did however serve carrots cut into ‘penny’ shapes, which was pretty much how everyone ate carrots in the 60s. It wasn’t until I was served carrots cut into ‘batons’ that I realised that I loved them. Now I don’t serve them any other way.
I don’t boil my carrots either, but use my trusty microwave oven to do the hard work for me. The finishing touch is this delicious maple-syrup glaze, which takes seconds to prepare, and elevates the humble carrot to new heights of taste and elegance!
I’d be too embarrassed to count this as a ‘recipe’, but have enough brazen cheek to offer it up for your consideration as a ‘serving suggestion’ 😉
‘Serving Suggestion’
EQUIPMENT:
- A microwavable bowl with lid. I use an elderly Pyrex casserole.
- A serving dish if your Pyrex is too elderly for public appearances.
- A small saucepan
- A serving spoon
INGREDIENTS:
- As many carrots as you need, peeled, and cut into similar-sized batons.
- 30g Butter
- 2 tablespoons of Maple Syrup
- 1 tablespoon of Wholegrain mustard (optional)
- Freshly ground Black pepper
METHOD:
- Put the prepared carrots into the casserole with just enough cold water to come up to the halfway mark, cover, and microwave for between 8- 10 minutes on HIGH.
About this much water..
- Stir, and taste one to make sure they’re cooked. Drain, and return to the casserole.
- Melt Butter in the saucepan, then add the Maple Syrup and the Mustard.
- Mix together briefly, the pour over the carrots, and stir through the dish with the serving spoon. Transfer to a more glamourous dish if it’s a special occasion.
- Grate over some black pepper.
- Serve, or keep warm and stir again just before you dish them up. Carrots are quite forgiving like that.
NOTES:
- I tend to cook my carrots when I feel like it, and keep them in the warming over with the dinnerplates until required. As long as you haven’t over-cooked them they’ll keep very well for 20 minutes or so.
I started writing down recipes in an old copybook when I was about 16. With 6 children at home, my Mother was always glad of a hand in the kitchen, and really allowed us to experiment - as long as we washed up afterwards, and left the kitchen immaculate! Having a tidy kitchen has followed me through my life, as has the habit of writing down my favourite recipes; except that these days I write them for my website, and add photographs when I can. The website really started when it occurred to me that my daughter might like to have these recipes when I've forgotten them. In my early days of cooking for family and friends, I used to phone my Mum all the time to ask her for the recipe for some of our favourite family dinners. She rarely had a recipe to hand - I think, like me, she made a lot of it up as she went along.. So welcome to Eating for Ireland - these are the recipes that my friends and family having been eating these past 40 years.. yes, I truly am ancient! They are tried and tested, and have worked for me for all that time - I have updated them as new ingredients became available - I really hope you'll find something that you can make into a family favourite of your own. You don't have to tell anyone where you found these great new dishes that you're serving up - it can be our little secret, but I'd really love it if you could give me a sneaky 'follow' on Facebook and Instagram.. So off you go - have a good rummage around, you're bound to find something new! My sincere thanks to all of you who have found a recipe that you liked and dropped me a line to tell me - I really do love to hear from you! Happy Cooking! Becks xx