Category: Salads and Sides

Maple Roasted Carrots with Dillon’s Bitter Orange

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This recipe features Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers, a local small batch distillery producing vodka, gin, rye, whiskey, and bitters. Dillon’s is pretty great, especially for those with celiac disease who are wary about using alcohol that is derived from wheat or barley. This is because it uses distilled Niagara grapes to make their vodka and gin–the former being the base of their fruit/herb/floral-infused bitters. Just step away from the rye and whiskey. But drinks aside, bitters are great for cooking and baking, too.

Maple Roasted Carrots with Bitter Orange

Maple Roasted Carrots with Bitter Orange

2 pounds (908g) carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
2 tablespoons (30mL) mild extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea or Himalayan salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (30mL) pure maple syrup
20 dashes Dillon’s Bitter Orange
Flat leaf parsley, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the carrots with the olive oil, then spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes.

Whisk together the maple syrup and Bitter Orange. Drizzle the mixture over the par-baked carrots, mixing to combine. Return to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender and starting to caramelize. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve warm.

Maple Roasted Carrots with Bitter Orange 2

Maple Mustard Fingerlings

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Side dish, snack, or appetizer, tender potatoes highlight the sweet-tang of maple mustard. For something a little extra, serve with additional Maple Mustard for dipping. If you can’t get your hands on the stuff, just mix together a stone-ground mustard with amber or dark maple syrup for the same effect. For this dish, I was writing an article featuring White Meadows Farm and their Maple Mustard.


maple-mustard roasted fingerlings

Maple Mustard Roasted Fingerlings

1 1/2 pounds (680g) yellow fingerling potatoes, sliced in half
2 tablespoons (30mL) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons (30mL) White Meadows maple mustard
Fine sea or Himalayan salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh parsley, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Put the potatoes, olive oil, and maple mustard in a bowl. Mix until the potatoes are well-coated. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and roasted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley before serving.

 

Creamy Roasted Parsnips and Fennel

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Spicy parsnips and fragrant fennel bond in a creamy, not-too-rich sauce full of fresh sage flavor. The nuts add just the right amount of texture, in this easy and quick dish that can be adapted to your tastes. Try potatoes and rutabaga with rosemary for another variation. This recipe was also featured on the California Walnuts website.

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Creamy Roasted Parsnips and Fennel

3 tablespoons (45mL) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound (454g) parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 large bulb fennel, cut into 3/4-inch slices
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons (45mL) sweet rice flour (see Note)
2 cups (480mL) unsweetened nondairy coconut beverage, such as So Delicious
2 tablespoons (30mL) finely chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon (3mL) freshly grated nutmeg
Sea or Himalayan salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/3 cup (80mL) finely chopped toasted hazelnuts, walnuts, or both

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Have an 8-inch square glass dish or 9-inch deep dish pie dish ready. Toss the parsnips and fennel with 1 tablespoon (15mL) of the olive oil. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until just starting to brown on the edges, about 25 minutes.

While the vegetables are in the oven, put the remaining olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1 3/4 cups (420mL) of the nondairy milk. Pour the remaining milk in a small bowl. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Once the mixture on the stovetop is steaming, slowly add in the flour mixture, a little at a time, whisking constantly, to create a smooth consistency. Add the sage, and nutmeg. Continue to whisk the mixture until it has thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until the vegetables are finished baking.

Once the vegetables are finished, lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Put them in the dish. Top with the sauce mixture. Sprinkle with the nuts. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbling. Serve warm.

Note: Sweet rice flour leaves a smooth finish, perfect for sauces and gravies. It is also sold under the names “glutinous rice flour” and “mochiko”.