Simple Roasted Rainbow Carrots

There are two tricks to making carrots exciting. Trick number one is to roast them to bring out their natural sweet and semi starchy goodness! The second is to ditch boring orange carrots for rainbow carrots. Most of my patients are shocked to learn there are actually other varieties of carrots besides the perfectly orange carrots found at the grocery store.

As consumers we have great control over what is available at the grocery store but unfortunately somewhere along the way both consumers and commercial vegetable producers and suppliers decided that all carrots should look the same and thus most carrots available at the store are the typical orange carrots we are used to seeing. The same could be said with tomatoes too. When we think of tomatoes we think of a perfectly red and round tomato and forget the knobby heirloom variety that might be yellow, red , orange or a combination of the 3 colors and is certainly not a perfect round shape. Using the rainbow carrots that you can find at your local farmers market not only ensures a full spectrum of phytonutrients and antioxidants but is also very visually exciting and pleasing.

In the recipe below I recommend the use of sesame seeds for added texture and taste. I also LOVE sneaking seaweed in recipes whenever possible and the Eden Organic Seaweed & Sesame Seed Seasoning helps me do that! This seasoning is basically 3 varieties of ground up sea vegetables (don't worry it only tastes salty not fishy) and sesame seeds! Seaweed provides a great source of Iodine; a commonly deficient mineral in the U.S. that supports thyroid function and metabolism. Seaweed is also rich in Vitamin K, Magnesium, and Selenium too!

GATHER

1-2 bunches of rainbow carrots with stems ( be sure to remove the stems as soon as you leave the market to prevent turgid carrots)

2 tbsp sesame seed oil

1 pinch sea salt

2 tbsp Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel Seasoning OR Eden Organic Seaweed & Sesame Seed Seasoning

MAKE

Begin by preheating your oven to 400F. If using petite carrots you may want to leave them whole. I like cutting the carrots into thin coin shapes. Once you have cut your carrots place them on a baking sheet and toss with the sesame seed oil and toss with a pinch of sea salt. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp of sesame seed blend ( either Trader Joe's or the Eden brand) and place into the oven to roast for 25-35 minutes or until desired crispness. Option to place under broiler for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Top with remaining 1 tbsp of sesame seed seasoning blend and enjoy!