This is a perfect dish to brighten up your day – tender carrots braised in a divine orange sauce with the right touch of ground cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg!
Carrots are one of our favorite vegetables and the addition of orange is a great way to highlight their gorgeous flavor. Swirl a bit of dark brown sugar along with cinnamon and nutmeg into butter, fresh orange zest and the juice of sweet, plump oranges.
We’re no longer limited to the basic orange variety of carrots stuffed into a plastic bag. Colorful carrots with their spectacular foliage still intact are widely available in food markets. They are commonly mixed and bundled together with each offering a subtle difference in their flavor profile. So don’t be afraid to serve a rainbow of color and taste!
If you are lucky enough to find these lovely gems look for foliage that’s full of color and carrots that are firm, with no signs of shriveling. If the green leafy tops are still attached to the carrots you’ll want to trim them off once you get them home, or shortly after. The tops will continue to pull moisture and nutrients from the carrots, not a good thing.
These carrots are often smaller than their packaged counterparts so cooking time is a bit quicker. And no need to use a vegetable peeler, a quick scrub with a vegetable brush is really all that is needed to prep this colorful root vegetable.
If you want to get a jump on meal prep you can cook the carrots for about 20 minutes and leave them in the braising liquid, cool and pop them in the refrigerator. Then when you’re ready just heat until the carrots are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
A delicious side dish to start the week!
Orange Braised Carrots
3 large navel oranges
3 tablespoons butter
â…“ cup dark brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
12 to 16 small carrots, scrubbed and ends trimmed
Zest 1 of the oranges and then juice it along with one of the other oranges. You should have about 1 teaspoon orange zest and about 1 cup orange juice. Slice the remaining orange.
Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar along with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour the orange juice into the pan and cook until the brown sugar has melted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the orange zest.
Toss in the carrots stirring to coat them in the orange braising liquid.
Place the slices of orange over the top of the carrots. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pan. Cook the carrots for about 30 to 35 minutes, spooning the braising liquid over the carrots about every 10 to 15 minutes. Continue cooking until the carrots are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Orange Braised Carrots
Equipment
- Large sauté pan with lid
Ingredients
- 3 large navel oranges
- 3 tablespoons butter
- â…“ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 12 to 16 small carrots, scrubbed and ends trimmed
Instructions
- Zest 1 of the oranges and then juice it along with one of the other oranges. You should have about 1 teaspoon orange zest and about 1 cup orange juice. Slice the remaining orange.
- Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar along with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour the orange juice into the pan and cook until the brown sugar has melted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the orange zest.
- Toss in the carrots stirring to coat them in the orange braising liquid.
- Place the slices of orange over the top of the carrots. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pan. Cook the carrots for about 30 to 35 minutes, spooning the braising liquid over the carrots about every 10 to 15 minutes. Continue cooking until the carrots are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
