Honey Dill Carrots

After a slew of late winter storms here in Ontario, we’re finally seeing the sun just in time for Easter weekend. My contribution to the family dinner at my in-laws on Sunday is…

Honey Dill Carrots (with the most delicious roasted garlic aioli!).

I love bathing them in avocado oil, honey and dill then baking them whole. It offers a beautiful, rustic presentation of the Easter Bunny’s favourite snack.

Some of our other family favourite Easter recipes…

• Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Herb & Garlic Scones
• Shaved Asparagus Salad
• Herbed Potato Salad
• Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onions
• Rosemary Honey Carrot Ribbons
• Carrot Cake
• Coconut Lemon Squares

Carrots – Your Skin’s BFF.

As always, I’ve got to include the skin-loving benefits of the star ingredient: Carrots. 😉

While carrots are most well-known for supporting eyesight, they’re also great for skin health.

Regulates sebum production: The high amounts of beta-carotene in carrots get converted to vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is essential for healthy skin because it works to regulate sebum production and, thus, prevents the clogged pores that lead to breakouts. (1)

Antioxidant properties: Rich in antioxidants, carrots help protect the skin from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage cells, leading to premature aging, disease and acne.

Anti-inflammatory properties: In conjunction with the aforementioned antioxidants, carrots also have wonderful anti-inflammatory compounds. Both of these powerhouses help to reduce inflammation in the body and skin. Remember: inflammation = acne. (2)

Promotes skin repair: carrots are high in vitamin C which is essential for collagen production and can help promote skin healing. This can be super helpful for acne sufferers as their skin is often damaged and inflamed. (3)

Detoxifies the body: Carrots are high in fibre which can help to remove excess waste, toxins and hormones from the body (that contribute to breakouts). (4)

Including carrots throughout your week can be a great way to love up the skin from the inside out. You can enjoy them cooked, like in this Honey Dill Carrot recipe, or raw when they’re grated into salads (or even a smoothie!).

Gettin’ Dilly With It

Dill is one of my all-time favourite herbs. It’s fresh, fragrant and full of health benefits. Not only is dill rich in antioxidants (5) and anti-inflammatory properties (6) like carrots, but it has a few more tricks up its sleeve.

Supports digestion: Dill has been traditionally used as a digestive aid for centuries. It contains compounds that can help to relax the muscles in the digestive tract which alleviates symptoms of indigestion and bloating. (7)

Antibacterial properties: Dill contains potent essential oils that have been shown to have antibacterial properties and can inhibit the growth of several foodborne pathogens, including Salmonella and Listeria. (8)

I love using fresh dill and always have some on hand. Aside from this lovely Honey Dill Carrot recipe, the flavourful herb goes great with salmon, potatoes and in ranch dressing.

Honey Dill Carrots

These honey dill carrots will be your new favourite way to eat this vibrant orange root veggie. And the roasted garlic aioli? Insanely good.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 carrots

Author: Katie Stewart

Ingredients

For the Carrots

• 2 lbs carrots (roughly 10 large)
• 3 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp dried dill
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp fresh dill (chopped - for topping)

For the Roasted Garlic Aioli

• 2 whole garlic bulbs
• 2 tsp avocado oil
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise (see notes)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Arrange in a single layer on the lined baking sheet.
• In a small bowl, mix together the avocado oil, honey, apple cider vinegar, dried dill, garlic powder and sea salt. Drizzle over the carrots.
• With clean hands, gently roll the carrots to coat evenly in the avocado oil mixture. Set aside.
• Peel the outermost layer off the whole garlic, leaving the individual cloves intact. Repeat for the other bulb.
• Cut a ¼’ off the top of each bulb to expose the tips of the garlic cloves.
• Layer a small square piece of parchment paper (enough to wrap around the whole garlic) on top of a same size square of aluminum foil. Place the garlic bulb on top of the parchment paper and drizzle with avocado oil.
• Use the layered parchment paper and aluminum foil to wrap tightly (the aluminum foil will be on the outside). Repeat for the other bulb. Place in a small baking dish (or insert into muffin tins if the bulbs are small enough).
• Put both the baking sheet with carrots and the baking dish with garlic bulbs in the oven.
• Bake the garlic for 40 minutes and the carrots for 45-50 until fork tender (flip the carrots halfway).
• When the garlic is done, remove it from the oven while the carrots finish cooking.
• Allow the garlic to cool slightly before removing them from their skins with a fork (or clean fingers).
• If you have a food processor, add the garlic cloves and all aioli ingredients to the container.
• Process until smooth. If you don’t have a food processor, mash the garlic cloves with a fork and mix well with the remaining aioli ingredients.
• Remove the carrots from the oven, sprinkle them with fresh dill and drizzle a few tablespoons of aioli over them. Reserve the remaining aioli in a small bowl for extra dipping.
• Serve immediately.

Notes

• Mayonnaise: I used an avocado oil-based mayo from Chosen Foods.
• Make it vegan: swap honey for maple syrup and vegan mayo in place of the regular (Chosen Foods & Earth's Own have vegan options).
• Aioli: Any leftover aioli can be placed in a sealable jar and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

SOURCES:

1. Prasad, R., & Katiyar, S. K. (2016). Vitamin A and skin health. Dermato-Endocrinology, 8(1), e1248324.
2. Choi, S. Y., Ko, E. J., Lee, Y. H., Kim, B. G., Shin, H. J., Seo, D. B., & Lee, S. J. (2014). Polyphenolic compounds from carrots (Daucus carota L.) inhibit proliferation and migration of human colon cancer cells. Journal of Food Biochemistry, 38(3), 303-309.
3. Telang, P. S. (2013). Vitamin C in dermatology. Indian dermatology online journal, 4(2), 143.
4. Kim, J. E., Kim, Y. J., & Cho, Y. H. (2018). Dietary fiber intake and its association with acne vulgaris: A cross-sectional study of 60,817 Korean adults. Nutrients, 10(8), 1049.
5. Kamkar, A., & Javan, A. J. (2018). Comparative study of antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of some medicinal herbal extracts. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 55(2), 501-508.
6. Lee, J. H., Kim, J. H., Lee, J. Y., & Lim, K. T. (2013). Anti-inflammatory effects of anethole in lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Journal of Medicinal Food, 16(3), 285-293.
7. Hajiaghamohammadi, A. A., Ziaee, A., Samiei, A., & Hajiaghamohammadi, A. (2014). The effect of Anethum graveolens L.(dill) on functional dyspepsia: A randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 153(2), 291-296.
8. Singh, G., Maurya, S., DeLampasona, M. P., & Catalan, C. A. (2005). Chemical constituents, antimicrobial investigations, and antioxidative potentials of Anethum graveolens L. essential oil and acetone extract: Part 52. Journal of Food Protection, 68(5), 1024-1031.