Recipes
Rosemary-Honey Carrot Ribbons
By The KSW Team · April 9, 2019 · 2 min read
They’re a classic vegetable served with most dinners, but poor carrots are never really the star of the show. That’s why I love this recipe. The slightly-sweet but earthy flavour of the carrots really shine when paired with some lemon juice and honey. The rosemary adds a perfect amount of herbaceous aroma.
I’ll be bringing this side dish to Easter dinner in a few weeks since it pairs so perfectly with holiday meals. I also love having this for a quick weeknight dinner with my Homemade Chicken Fingers and a drizzle of Creamy Hemp Heart Caesar Dressing.
Medicinal Uses of Carrots Throughout History
Most historians agree carrots date back as far as 5,000 years ago. Temple drawings from 2000 BCE Egypt show images of what Egyptologists think are purple carrots. Carrots were originally grown for medicine rather than food.
- 2nd-Century BCE: The first mention of carrots was made by Diphilus of Siphnos and was used as a diuretic.
- 7th-century BCE: Greek physician, Byzantine, used carrots in remedies for inflation of the stomach, bladder issues, jaundice, easing menstruation, and cancer.
- 13th-century: Physicians in the Middle Ages prescribed carrots as medicine for almost every possible affliction.
Why You Should Eat More Carrots
While we’re used to the bright orange variety, most carrots were white, purple, or yellow. Historians believe the Dutch cultivated the orange carrot in the 17th or 18th century. Today, carrots still have a place in the superfood department and play a key role in helping combat disease.
- The compound, falcarinol, has been found to reduce the risk of
tumour development in animal studies. - High levels of the antioxidant, beta-carotene, found in carrots may play a big part in cancer prevention — specifically, prostate, colon, and leukaemia.
- The body turns beta-carotene into vitamin A which is vital to skin health. This is why I often recommend this vegetable to my clients in The Clear Skin Solution.
- Beta-carotene also helps promote good eyesight and supports the immune system.
Ingredients
- 6 carrots
- 1 onion sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- ½ cup baby spinach thinly sliced
- 1 tsp raw honey
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary sub 1 tsp dried
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- Pink salt to taste
Instructions
- Place pan on medium-high heat and add avocado oil. Add sliced onions. Saute until translucent (about 3 to 5 minutes).
- In the meantime, use a y-peeler (or a potato peeler) to shave the carrots into ribbons. A y-peeler will allow you to shave down most of the carrot. Potato peelers, on the other hand, won’t allow you to get down as close, but still, doable.
- Add carrot ribbons and garlic to the pan with the onions. Saute for 5-7 minutes.
- Add all remaining ingredients and cook until baby spinach has wilted (about 2 minutes).
- Remove from heat and serve.