Thursday, March 25, 2010

Corriander Roasted Carrots with Feta and Cilantro


This recipe is a simple side dish that is bright and colorful, and great for spring! It is inspired by a recent Martha Stewart Magazine recipe for Roasted Carrots with Parsley. I used to have an aversion to parsley, but now I enjoy it in dishes like Tabouli or as the base of a pesto. However, I still prefer many other fresh herbs and enjoy their stronger flavors, so if I see a recipe with parsley, I tend to look for other herbs to substitute. The other change I made to this recipe was to add some spice to the carrots. When roasted, they become very sweet, the feta adds a salty punch, so I wanted an earthy flavor and a bright flavor. That's where I brought in a double punch of cilantro and corriander. Because corriander is the seed of the cilantro plant, they have similar flavor profiles, but are also quite different. The corriander adds a smoky quality, and the cilantro adds a bright, fresh punch of flavor. They compliment eachother very well in this recipe and add depth of flavor to a rather simple side dish.

Corriander Roasted Carrots with Feta and Cilantro

5 lbs. medium carrots, peeled and cut on a bias
2 tbsp. EVOO
Salt and Pepper
1/2 tsp. ground corriander
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup crumbled feta

Preaheat oven to 450 degrees.
Toss carrots in EVOO, salt, pepper and corriander on a baking sheet.
Roast for 15 minutes, flip and toss with a spatula, roast for another 5-10 minutes, until tender and caramelized.
Remove from the oven, spoon into a bowl, top with cilantro and feta and serve.

6 comments:

jenny said...

i read the title for this post 3 times before i realized it said "coriander" and not "colander." seriously, i was going to be impressed as to how you worked a rather large, and seemingly unrelated, kitchen utensil into a recipe.

i now understand that my reading skills are bad. also, this looks lovely. i have all of the ingredients and just might make some tonight!

Robyn said...

I love roasting carrots so this is definitely a way I'll have to try!

Sophie @ yumventures said...

I love simple, elegant dishes as well as roasted carrots, so this is definitely one to try!

VegeCooking Club said...

Very nice! I like the combination of the salty feta and sweet carrots.

Joanne said...

For a long time I didn't think I liked parsley either but as it turns out I like it in a few dishes. With lemon and capers, for instance. I'll get back to you on any others.

Cilantro is always my herb of choice! I love this recipe.

NKP said...

Great flavours! I have to remember to use carrots more often. You have proved their versatility.