Roasted Carrots with Onion - CONFIDENT in the KITCHEN

There are boiled carrots… and there are roasted carrots, and they aren’t even the same vegetable.

Roasted carrots are tender with a flavor that is beautifully intensified. They are a perfect side dish for burgers or steaks because you can ignore them in the oven while the rest of the meal is prepared. Tasty and easy!

ROASTED CARROTS WITH ONION
Servings: 4
Time: 0hr 30mins
Difficulty: Easy

WHAT YOU NEED	WHAT TO DO	WHY
	Place a rack in the center position of an oven or a toaster oven; preheat to 450°F “Convection” (verify with an oven thermometer).	Ovens often run hot or cold, or preheat slowly.
1 pound carrots peeled and cut into batons/sticks	Place on a quarter sheet pan, or the toaster oven sheet pan. Tip: Peel carrots. Cut off tops and tips; rinse. Cut in half to separate tapered ends from thick ends; cut each piece in half lengthwise. Place cut sides down; slice lengthwise into 1/2-inch wide sticks. Line up sticks and shorten lengths to 1 1/2-inch.	A small pan helps retain moisture, while aluminum roasts carrots in half the time required for glass or ceramic.
4 ounces white or yellow onion, wedged	Add to carrots. Tip: With an onion on its side, cut off and discard stem and root ends; cut in half at the equator. Place cut sides down and slice each from pole to equator; discard skins. With equator sides still down, slice into 1/2-inch wide wedges.	Wedges are attractive and less prone to burning than slices.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, firmly packed 1/2 teaspoon oregano flakes 1/2 teaspoon roughly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt	In a 1-cup tempered glass bowl/cup, melt butter on medium microwave power. Whisk in seasonings until uniform in color. Drizzle over vegetables; toss to evenly coat. Spread into an even layer; roast until carrots are fork tender (13-15 minutes). For ovens lacking a steam release vent, briefly crack the door 2-3 times in the final half of roasting to release the steam. Turn with a bamboo spatula to redistribute moisture before serving.	Butter adds wonderful flavor, has low PUFAs, and leaves less pan residue than oil. An even layer promotes even roasting.

CUMIN ROASTED CARROTS
Omit onion. Replace oregano with 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin.
GINGER ROASTED CARROTS
Omit onion. Replace oregano with 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin. Add 1/8 teaspoon each ground ginger and ground cinnamon. After roasting, squeeze 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice in a light drizzle over carrots just before turning and serving.