Six Ways to Make Those Extra Carrots in Your Fridge Into Something Delicious

Please note: Eileen Goltz is a freelance kosher food writer. The Orthodox Union makes no endorsements or representations regarding kashrut certification of various products/vendors referred to in her articles, blog or web site.

So when is a vegetable bargain really a bargain? Answer: when it’s a ten-pound bag of carrots and you only need two-pounds…but the ten-pound bag is only $1 more than the two-pound bag.

No brainer – you buy it.

The truth is, I always have carrots in the fridge; sometimes I just have more of them than other times. It’s when I have too many that I really get creative.

Carrots are my go-to veggie that are always in season and always cheaper than any other vegetable out there. They are delicious cooked or fresh and you can always count on them to lend fiber and color to any meal. They come in the ever-popular international orange we all recognize, white, red, yellow, purple (yes, purple) and everything in between.

And, on top of being the “pretty” vegetable, carrots  are a terrific source of  potassium, manganese, foliate, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamins A, B1, B3, B6, C and K.

So since my soup recipe called for two pounds of carrots (recipe below) but I bought the ten-pound bag, I had an excess of eight pounds. But I figured that since I had them, I might as well use them all at once because, well, I just cook that way. I went digging for carrot recipes that were just a little bit different, easy to make and delicious enough that even the most finicky of non-veggie lovers would like.

Parsnips and Carrots with Honey and Rosemary (pareve or dairy)

8 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb. carrots (about 4 large), peeled, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 lb. large parsnips, peeled, cut into bite-size pieces
• Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1½ Tablespoons honey

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in large skillet.
2. Add the carrots, sugar and parsnips and saute until the carrot and parsnips start to brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Add the butter, rosemary, and honey and mix to coat.
4. Cook, stirring constantly until the vegetables are coated – about 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Modified from Bon Appétit, November 2007. Submitted by Molly Stevens.

Carrot Slaw (Pareve)

10 to 12 servings

Ingredients:

• 6 medium carrots, shredded
• ½ a head of green cabbage, shredded
• ½ a head of red cabbage, shredded
• 4 scallions (green onions), sliced thin
• 2/3 cup of mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1½ Tablespoons of orange juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ to 1 cup salted sunflower seeds

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the carrots, green onions, cabbage. Toss to mix.
2. In another bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sugar and orange juice. Whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Pour the dressing over the carrot mixture and toss to coat.
4. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour but up to 6 hours before serving. Sprinkle the sunflower seeds over the top and serve.

Carrot Soup with a Kick (pareve)

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 8 carrots, chopped
• 5 celery stalks, cut into pieces
• 1 parsnip, peeled, cut into small pieces
• 1 Tablespoon, garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cups of water
• 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of curry powder
• Sea salt to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, celery and onion for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly until they are soft. Add the curry powder and mix to coat.
2. Add the carrots, parsnip, and water. Cover and cook for 30 to 40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
3. Cool slightly and then process in a food processor or blender until the soup is smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat

Submitted by Antonia Marcarni from Chicago, IL.

Carrots & Pasta (pareve)

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 large carrots, peeled
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 1 onion, sliced into rounds
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 teaspoons garlic, finely diced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup your favorite spaghetti sauce
• 1 lb. cooked pasta, spaghetti, rotini or bow tie

Instructions:

1. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the carrots into long, thing strips. Place the strips in a bowl and sprinkle them with a little kosher salt.
2. Place the oil in the bottom of a large pan and add the carrots and onions. Stir frequently.  When the carrots start to soften, add the garlic and pepper and continue cooking for about 5 minutes. Make sure not to let the veggies get too browned.
3. Add the spaghetti sauce, oregano and basil and then continue to simmer until the everything is hot.
4. Serve the sauce over the cooked pasta.

My files, source unknown.

Apricot Carrots with Wild Rice Pilaf (pareve)

6 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 cups baby carrots or regular carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 12 to 16 dried apricots, chopped
• 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• Salt and pepper
• ¼ cup water
• 2 cups wild rice/white rice mix, cooked

Instructions:

1. Steam carrots until tender but still firm. Set aside.
2. In a skillet, saute the onions and garlic in the oil until the onions are soft. Add the ginger, cloves, sugar, and apricots and cook for 2 or 3 minutes until the sugar has been incorporated.
3. Add the water and whisk until the sauce thickens slightly.
4. Add the carrots and cook for a few minutes until the carrots are hot throughout. Add the rice, mix to combine and serve.

My files, source unknown.

Ultimate Carrot Cake (dairy)

Ingredients:

• 2¼ cups flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1½ cups sugar
• 1 cup oil
• ½ cup buttermilk or milk or non-dairy substitute
• 2/3 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ½ cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 lb. finely grated carrots
• 1 cup toasted chopped pecans
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 batch Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by lightly coating with oil and lining with parchment paper.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and nutmeg together in a bowl.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, place the eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, brown sugar, vanilla, and pineapple. Mix to combine.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until fully incorporated.   Stir in the carrots, pecans and raisins just until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake on center rack for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
6. Cool cakes in their pans for at least 30 minutes before attempting to remove them.  Then, remove from the pans and peel off the parchment paper.  Continue to cool the cakes completely before frosting.
7. To assemble the cake, place the bottom layer on a cardboard round or other flat surface and put on a cake turntable. Scoop about 1½ cups of the cream cheese icing onto the top of the bottom cake layer.  Using an offset spatula, spread the frosting evenly over the surface.  Carefully place the second layer on top.
8. Scoop another 1½ cups or so of the frosting on the top of the cake and spread evenly, easing the frosting down the sides.  Spread the icing around the sides of the cake, adding more as needed.
9. Lift the cake off the turntable and place on a cake stand or platter. Chill a bit to firm up the frosting before slicing.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 3 to 4 cups confectioners’ sugar

Instructions:

1. Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth.  Add extracts and beat just until incorporated.
2. Beat in confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time, until frosting has the flavor and consistency you want.  (You may not need to add all of the sugar)

Adapted from The Essential Baker via Zoe Bakes.

Eileen Goltz is a freelance kosher food writer who was born and raised in the Chicago area. She graduated from Indiana University and the Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Paris. She lectures on various food-related topics across the U.S. and Canada and writes weekly columns for the Chicago Jewish News, kosher.com and the OU Shabbat Shalom Website. She is the author of the Perfectly Pareve Cookbook (Feldheim) and is a contributing writer for the Chicken Soup for the Soul Book Group, Chicago Sun Times, Detroit Free Press and Woman’s World Magazine. You can visit Eileen’s blog by clicking: Cuisine by Eileen.

The words of this author reflect his/her own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Orthodox Union.