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

Curried Applesauce

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Classic applesauce gets a twist with the addition of Indian spice. Serve as a condiment, eat as a snack, or use as a topping on coconut milk ice cream for a unique dessert.

Curried Applesauce

Curried Applesauce

10 medium-sized tart apples, such as McIntosh, cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups (360mL) apple cider
1 1/4 teaspoons (7mL) ground cardamom
3/4 teaspoon (4mL) ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon (4mL) garam masala
1/2 teaspoon (3mL) ground coriander
A few pinches fine sea or Himalayan salt

Put the apples, apple cider, cardamom, ginger, garam malsala, coriander, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to bubbling on medium heat, then cook until the apples begin to soften, about 12 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to purée until smooth, or let cool slightly and transfer to a blender or a food processor to process or blend until smooth.

Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold. Flavors will meld as it sits.

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.