Sometimes, things that are plain or rather ordinary can, just by a few adjustments, be turned into something beautiful and noteworthy. In the food world, this is especially obvious.
We take plain potatoes and embellish the heck out of them with butter, sour cream, cheese and more. We steam vegetables like broccoli, then gussy them up by tossing them in a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Toasted bread is slathered with butter and marmalade, changing something basic into bites of deliciousness.
Not to say that plain and ordinary food isn't good, too. It often is pretty wonderful all by itself. A sweet, juicy orange is more satisfying than candy. A perfectly ripened tomato is divine all by itself. So not everything has to have embellishment, at least not all the time.
But it seems uniquely human to want to explore with foods, to try new tastes, to improve upon a food — even if it tastes pretty wonderful already. We really seem to enjoy combining different tastes, flavors and textures in recipes and creating an unending supply of new ones.
Today's recipe is a slightly different take on a vegetable that often goes unnoticed. I'm betting almost everyone has a bag, or at least a partial bag, of carrots in their vegetable crisper, and it may have been there for months. Carrots keep for a long time, which is another reason we might forget to pay attention to them, being less worried about how they might rot or spoil than something like spinach leaves, with their shorter freshness span.
Nutritionally, however, carrots are not so ordinary. One cup of carrots has more than 400 percent of the recommended amount of vitamin A, about 20 percent of the vitamin K and almost 14 percent of the fiber you need per day. Carrots are also full of phytonutrients. Beta carotene, an antioxidant found in significant amounts in deep-orange-colored vegetables like carrots, is thought to help reduce risk of heart disease and certain cancers.
More recently, research has shown that polyacetylenes, another type of phytonutrient in carrots, may help inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells. And the carotenes in carrots may actually prevent free radical damage to these polyacetylenes so they can do their good work. Pretty cool, huh?
I think the recipe is called Israeli carrots because it makes a good side dish for Passover Seder dinners. It's a different take on the more traditional carrot tzimmes. But even if you don't celebrate Passover, this dish would be nice at the Easter table as well, or for any family dinner this spring. Try this mix of carrots with a dressing of fresh herbs, orange juice and olive oil. It's easy to make and tasty to eat.
Megan Murphy is a Tennessee-licensed registered dietitian and associate professor of nutrition at Southwest Tennessee Community College. Call 277-3062, fax 529-2787, email Meganmyrd@aol.com
Makes 4 servings, about ¦ cup each.
2 quarts water
1 pound baby carrots, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 garlic clove, chopped
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in a saucepan. Add carrots; cook 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain.
2 Place garlic in a food processor; pulse 3 times or until finely chopped. Add cilantro; pulse 3 times or until combined. Add dill and remaining ingredients; pulse 3 times or until well combined.
3 Spoon dill mixture over carrots; toss gently to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Per serving: 76 calories. 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 10 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 1 g protein, 190 mg sodium.
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