Everyone is loving their roasted veggies these days. Now that it’s cold outside, cranking up the oven is perfect timing for roasting whatever you have on hand. Carrots work exceptionally well in roasting.

I enjoy flavoring carrots just a bit with a little something sweet. We’re also told to eat walnuts for the omega-3’s. So…I decided to combine the two into Roasted Honey (or Maple) Carrots with Walnuts. It’s an absolutely FABULOUS side dish (or even a main course for vegetarians because of the nuts). The recipe is below, followed by a video demonstrating how to make them. Note that this recipe is very flexible and can easily be increased and flavors adjusted to your liking.

Roasted Honey (or Maple) Carrots with Walnuts
Makes 2 Servings

4 small carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
2 tsp honey or maple syrup
1/4 to 1/3 cup walnuts (or adjust to your preference)

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Prepare fresh carrots and place them on a baking sheet (that may or may not be lined with parchment paper). Drizzle olive oil over the carrots. Sprinkle carrots with desired amount of salt. Drizzle with honey or maple syrup. Toss carrots to evenly coat all sides. Spread carrots into a single layer on the pan.

Place pan in middle of preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove pan and test carrots for tenderness with a fork. When they are almost roasted to your liking, stir in the walnuts. Place back in oven for 5 minutes. Check walnuts for brownness. If they are lightly browned, remove from oven and serve. If the walnuts need more roasting time, return pan to oven for 2 or 3 minutes and check again. Everything is finished when the carrots are fork tender and the walnuts are just lightly browned. Note! Watch walnuts carefully as they can burn quickly. Strive to remove pan from the oven when the walnuts are lightly browned.

This recipe is made “to taste” and can easily be increased and flavorings adjusted according to your needs and personal preferences. Watch the video below to see how it’s done! Judi