Pear Carrot Ginger Juice

We've began the "Biggest Loser" weight loss contest at work and we're 3 days in. I am 2 days behind due to a diet setback thanks to Wurstfest 2013. Saturday morning I was invited to road trip it to New Braunfels, TX to gorge on sausages and fried foods. That I did... 5 sausages on a stick, fried turkey leg, fried pickles with ranch, frito pie, corn on the cob slathered in butter and salted, fried oreos, funnel cake with strawberry topping, and countless cups of iced tea.

My food binge carried into Sunday with a stop at Einstein Bros. Bagels. I couldn't decide between a spinach florentine bagel with garlic schmear or the under 350 calorie bagel thin with turkey sausage and green chiles so I got both and a pumpkin spice latte. Sigh. No shame... kinda.

Feeling guilty about not being able to commit longer than 1 day to this healthy lifestyle change I made a trip to Whole Foods and loaded the cart up with healthy choices for the upcoming week. Juicing is something I've been enjoying lately because I feel so good after downing a glass of it and not to mention all of the health benefits.

Getting back on the wagon I pulled out the juicer. Here's to hoping I can stick to this for another month.  The Pear Carrot Ginger Juice is a little bit thicker than the juices I've made so far but this is so tasty.

Pear Carrot Ginger Juice

Brewers Organics

Makes 1 Serving

Stars of the Show:

• 4 pears, cut into pieces
• 8 carrots, peeled
• 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled

And Action:

Run ingredients through the juicer and enjoy!

Carrot Apple Grape Juice

I have been turned on to juicing since watching the documentary, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. Once a week I try to do a one day juice cleanse. Usually on a Monday since Sundays are usually my free day to eat what I want. I can easily justify splurging on items that promote healthy living such as my Breville Juice Fountain.

I feel so good after drinking homemade juices and the taste... oh the taste! So delicious! No additives and all natural. I'm always looking for new flavor combinations to try. After browsing the grocery ads to see what's on sale for the week I'll search the Internet for new recipes or stick to the combinations I already love. My favorite juices tend to contain beets and carrots.

Carrot juice is sweet which is surprising to me because sometimes when I munch on baby carrots they can taste bitter. Carrots are great for your liver, digestive tract and eye sight. One of the richest sources of Vitamin A. It's also concentrated in Vitamins D, C, E, K, B1, and B6.

Apple juice is high in antioxidants and great for your lungs and eye sight. Rich in potassium, improves intestine function, maintains lower levels of cholesterol, and helps to clean the kidneys and liver.

Grape juice is also high in antioxidants and vitamins.

When you need an extra boost of energy consider this instead of a caffeine jolt.

Carrot Apple Grape Juice

Forbidden Rice Blog

Makes about 30 oz

Stars of the Show:

• 4 large carrots
• 3 fuji apples
• 1 cup red grapes

And Action:

Core the apples. Run all of the ingredients through the juicer. Stir and serve over ice or chill in the fridge. 

Carrots Saucily Spiced

Looking for a quick and simple but flavorful side dish?

In an issue of, Best Recipes: Down Home Cookin' No. 37, I came across a recipe for Carrots Saucily Spiced. I had baby carrots on hand and the rest of the ingredients and knew I needed to give this recipe a try.

Baby carrots are boiled until tender-crisp and then tossed in a spiced ketchup sauce. The title of the cookbook fits this recipe perfectly. This side dish certainly reminded me of some "down home cookin'." From the taste to the smell. It was very tasty. The sauce tasted a bit like barbecue sauce but with a surprise flavoring... allspice. It was very flavorful.

Carrots Saucily Spiced

Best Recipes: Down Home Cookin' No. 37

Makes 4 to 6 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1 lb carrots, cut into 1/2-inch diagonal slices - I used baby carrots and left them whole.
• 1/4 cup HEINZ tomato ketchup - I used the no-salt added ketchup.
• 1 1/2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp butter or margarine
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice

And Action:

In medium saucepan boil carrots for 8 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain. In the saucepan combine the ketchup, brown sugar, butter and allspice. Heat through. Add the carrots and toss to coat.

Carrot Ginger Soup

I did not buy a pound bag of carrots with any other intention than making some Crispy Carrot Fries or cutting them into sticks for snacks for itty bitty. Carrots are hands down his favorite vegetable. With his selectiveness, sounds so much nicer than pickiness, I didn't want to use up all of his carrots but when I opened the bag they were needing to be used since they were losing their crispness.

Needing to show my blog some love and make a worthy recipe to share I searched through some recipes at MyRecipes and came across this recipe for Carrot Ginger Soup. Believe it or not I have gone all winter without making soup. There is something seriously wrong with me. Thankfully today's weather here in Houston, Texas was perfect for soup. Rainy and cold. I'm sure with my backwardsness I'll end up making lots of soup this summer in 90+ degree.

If eating too many carrots turns my skin orange than so be it. This soup would be worth it! Carrot Ginger Soup... CRAVE WORTHY!!! I'm trying my best not to drool on my laptop as I type this. Pureed to a silky smooth consistency flavored with ginger. Low in fat and high in Vitamin C makes this a perfect healthy eating dish. Off the charts delicious! Thank goodness this soup freezes well for those busy nights or when a craving hits.  If you forget to double the recipe for leftovers to freeze than no worries because this is one easy soup to put together.

Carrot Ginger Soup

MyRecipes and Health, October 2009

Makes 4 servings (Serving size = 1 1/4 cup)

Stars of the Show:

• 2 pounds carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tsp seasoned rice wine vinegar, divided
• 3 tsp toasted sesame seeds, divided
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp finely grated ginger - I used ground ginger.
• 1 tsp sesame oil

And Action:

Ribbon one carrot with a vegetable peeler and transfer it to a bowl with 1 tsp rice wine vinegar and 1 tsp sesame seeds. Set aside for garnishing the soup.

Place the remaining carrots in a saucepan covered with water. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes or until very tender.

Using a slotted spoon transfer the carrots to a food processor. Add the garlic cloves, 3 cups of the cooking water, and ginger. Puree until smooth. Add in the remaining 1 tsp rice wine vinegar and the sesame oil.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with the carrot ribbons and remaining sesame seeds.

For freezing: Make a double batch and put in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Just thaw and heat! Simple!

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 119

Fat: 3g (sat 0.0g,mono 1g,poly 1g)

Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Protein: 3g

Carbohydrate: 23g

Fiber: 7g

Iron: 1mg

Sodium: 157mg

Calcium: 99mg

I'll be marking #2 off of my "Stir the Pot" page. 6 down, 18 to go!

Crispy Carrot Fries

I know. It has been less than a week since I posted a similar recipe, Cumin Carrot Fries, but to my defense these don't have ground cumin seasoning them. So there. They're different.

For those of you following the trend that is, "Meatless Monday", you could add these as a quick and easy side dish. I figured I would try the concept out on Mr. Sideline Chef and when the plate was set in front of him, Classic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes and Crispy Carrot Fries, he no longer had any reservations regarding the lack of a protein. The cheese in the scalloped potatoes counts, right?

The baking times for both the Cumin Carrot Fries and these are just guidelines. If you like them to have more of a crunch to them then leave them in the oven for less time. Check on them at 5 minute intervals until they are cooked to your desired texture. The longer you leave them in the softer they become. I like mine after they've been in the oven for the full 20 minutes.

Crispy Carrot Fries

Good Things: For Kids: 63 Fun and Easy Recipes the Whole Family Will Love

Makes 8 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 16 carrots (about 2 lbs), peeled and cut into 4 inch long sticks
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt

And Action:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, toss the carrot sticks with olive oil and salt. Spread the carrot sticks in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until fries begin to crisp about 20 to 25 minutes. 

Cumin Carrot Fries

Carrot fries how I love thee. I started making carrot fries when my itty bitty started on finger foods. He loved carrots and he loved french fries so I figured why not prepare carrots the same method I would for french fries. It went over without a hitch. To this day my itty bitty still loves his carrot fries with his meals or even on their own as a snack. It's nice not having to use trickery to get more veggies into his diet. Mind you, he is a toddler and getting him to eat any new items or just in general has become a battle of wills. Making a batch of carrot fries is a great go to option in our household.

Normally I would just toss the carrot sticks in olive oil and some salt but this recipe called for the addition of ground cumin. Brought back memories of the Sweet Carrot Salad I had made at the beginning of December 2010. It was my first time using ground cumin to flavor carrots and the recipe was a success so I figured this would go over just as well.

Sure enough they were delicious and itty bitty's seal of approval came with it. It's nice to add a new flavor combo to the rotation. With a quick roasting time these make a great snack or side dish. Give them a try!

Cumin Carrot Fries
MyRecipes.com and Real Simple, November 2002

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1 1/2 lb peeled carrots, sliced into 3 inch sticks
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt

And Action:

Combine the olive oil, ground cumin, and salt in a bowl. Add the carrot sticks and toss to coat. Lay the carrot sticks onto a baking sheet in an even layer and roast in a 400° oven for 10 minutes. Stir the carrot sticks around and continue roasting to your desired color of doneness. Mine were in for 15 minutes. I recommend setting the timer in 5 minute increments after the initial 10 minute roast time.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 88 (0% from fat)
Fat: 5g (sat 1g)
Protein: 1mg
Carbohydrate: 11g
Fiber: 3g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Iron: 0mg
Sodium: 271mg
Calcium: 40mg

Roasted Potatoes, Parsnips, and Carrots with Horseradish Sauce

My absolute favorite way to eat my veggies is by roasting them in a little bit of olive oil and sprinkled with spices. Along with finding the recipe for Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Horseradish Butter I found this one as well to help use up the jar of horseradish that has been sitting in the fridge until the occasional roast beef sandwich was made. Roasted veggies is one of those foods that makes me giddy. I look forward to nights when I create the menu to have a side dish of them and even when Mr. Sideline Chef is out on the road I'll make a pan of them as a stand alone meal. I'm easy to please.

Carrots are one of those foods I couldn't stand as a kid. I could eat them raw but cooked any way just made my stomach turn and my mother's hair grey with trying to get me to eat them. It wasn't until 2 years ago when she had made a large pan of roasted veggies for us at Easter that I gave them a shot and was smitten with the sweetness from roasting.

I recall eating parsnips one time in my childhood. I know they weren't well received and that explains why my mother never bothered making them again. My tastes have since changed in the past 3 years. Mr. Sideline Chef swears it was his love of mushrooms and my love for him that turned me into a mushroom lover and carrots are also now on my radar. Why not give parsnips another go?

This was a score in my personal playbook. Itty bitty had stuffed himself off of leftover pizza and Mr. Sideline Chef was surprised with his favorite and thus filled up on it leaving no room for roasted veggies. Excuses, excuses. More for me and my feelings were definitely not hurt.

The horseradish sauce was yogurt that had been drained of the excess liquid and then mixed with horseradish and salt. Simple and so flavorful and paired well with the roasted vegetables. I damn near licked the plate clean. If Mr. Sideline Chef wasn't home I would have gone wild but since I didn't want to turn his stomach I resorted to cleaning my plate of the sauce with my finger when he wasn't looking. Shameless. Beware Mr. Sideline Chef... your leftovers won't last longer than tomorrow and these roasted veggies will be making an appearance on a plate near you!

Roasted Potatoes, Parsnips, and Carrots with Horseradish Sauce

MyRecipes.com and Cooking Light, November 1999

Makes 6 servings (Serving size = 1 cup vegetables and 2 tbsp horseradish sauce)

Stars of the Show for the Horseradish Sauce:

• 1 (8 oz) carton plain low-fat yogurt
• 2 tbsp prepared horseradish
• 1/4 tsp salt

And Action:

Spoon yogurt onto several heavy duty paper towels and spread to 1/2-inch thickness. Cover with additional paper towels and let stand for 5 minutes. Scrape the yogurt into a bowl and mix the horseradish and salt. Cover and chill until ready to use.

Stars of the Show for the Roasted Potatoes, Parsnips, and Carrots:

• 1 lb (1-inch thick) sliced carrots
• 1 lb parsnips, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 lb fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise - Our local market did not have fingerling potatoes. I had a large bag of Yukon Gold potatoes left from the night I made Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Horseradish Butter. You can also substitute small red potatoes.
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp chopped fresh sage
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 12 garlic cloves, peeled (about 1 garlic head) - I had minced garlic on hand.
• 4 large shallots, peeled and quartered
• 4 thyme sprigs - I used dried thyme.
• cooking spray

And Action:

Preheat oven to 450°.

Before the magic happens.

Combine carrots, parsnips, and next 8 ingredients (parsnips through thyme) in a shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes. Stir. Reduce oven temperature to 400° and bake an additional 30 minutes. I like my veggies with more color and kept stirring mine after the 30 minute mark every 10 minutes for an additional 20 minutes. Discard thyme if you are using the sprigs. Serve with the horseradish sauce.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 197 (15% from fat)

Fat: 3.3g (sat 0.8g,mono 1.9g,poly 0.4g)

Protein: 5.5g

Carbohydrate: 38.5g

Fiber: 5.5g

Cholesterol: 2mg

Iron: 2.1mg

Sodium: 371mg

Calcium: 129mg

Sweet Carrot Salad

After a day of shopping for our winter essentials for our trip North to Ohio and putting itty bitty in and pulling him out of his car seat 6 times I was worn out. My hands were cold too. Being cold should have made me want something to warm myself up. Not the case last night. I didn't want to stand in the kitchen and put anything together. Not even the prospect of making a new recipe was exciting me. What got me in the kitchen was the thought that Mr. Sideline Chef was at work all day while itty bitty and I had a very enjoyable day out together. The guilt set in that this man busts his balls at work all day and I get to stay at home and reap the benefits of his hard work. He never complains about the sink full of dishes or the floors that get mopped once in a blue moon a week. He deserves a prepared meal when he gets home, it's the least I could do. Although he prefers the enthusiastic hello, hug and kiss when he walks through the door. He's pretty incredible.

We started at Ross and picked up our winter hats, gloves, jackets, an outfit with jeans for itty bitty, and some other items. Next stop was to the mall for the hunt of a Christmas top for itty bitty since his black slacks from the year prior still fit him. After having a mommy/son lunch with him and spoiling him at Cookie Place with an M&M cookie we set out to our last stop in the mall, Macy's, and luckily found the only item that was Christmasy and in his size... a black and grey striped sweater with a skull wearing a Santa hat... I'm sure the family will be thrilled when they receive Santa photos this year. What is it with little girl's having an entire section designated for frilly dresses and boys having a single rack with tuxedos? It's a crock o' shit if you ask me.

With the entire list of needs marked off and the wallet a bit lighter (boo!) we set out to run the rest of the errands. Library, bank, and then grocery shopping. Even though I kept itty bitty out 2+ hours into nap time we had no meltdowns and I enjoyed our time together.

Mr. Sideline Chef arrived home and I still hadn't settled on what we were having for dinner and I hadn't wrote down my recipes yet. Dinner was an hour and a half later. Fish fillet with Yukon Mashed Potatoes with Horseradish Butter (recipe tomorrow) and a side dish of Sweet Carrot Salad.

Didn't like getting their photo taken.

The Sweet Carrot Salad was part of a Moroccan Passover Feast menu. Mr. Sideline Chef would have possibly enjoyed the Passover Vegetable Soup but wanting to only dump one new recipe to try on him I settled on just making the Sweet Carrot Salad.

This makes for a vibrant orange side dish. It has a subtle tang from the lemon juice but is tamed by the sugar added. It is flavored with cinnamon, cumin, parsley, and paprika. The cumin is the dominating flavor in this side dish. It is also served chilled. Mr. Sideline Chef ate what was on his plate but didn't comment until I asked directly what he thought, "Well... I ate it. I didn't like it." Itty bitty took one bite and started placing his carrot slices from his high chair tray to the table to clear them off his plate. Me, I thought it was delicious. First bite I wasn't convinced but after a second bite I really liked it. It'll make a nice side dish to go with my sandwich today for lunch.

Sweet Carrot Salad

MyRecipes.com and Cooking Light, March 1997

Makes 4 cups (Serving size = 1/2 cup)

Stars of the Show:

• 5 cups (1/2 inch thick) carrot slices
• 2 garlic cloves, halved - I used minced garlic since I always buy garlic in the jars to help cut on prep time. I'm not sure if the garlic bits really did much to change the flavor since the cumin is the dominant taste in this dish.
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice - 3 small lemons gave me half of this amount.
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley - I used dried parsley.
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika

And Action:

Combine carrots and garlic in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook 8 minutes or until tender. Drain. Discard garlic.



Looks like artwork!

Combine lemon juice and the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well. Add carrots to lemon juice mixture and toss to coat. Serve salad at room temperature or chilled.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 30 (3% from fat)

Fat: 0.1g (sat 0.1g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g)

Protein: 0.6g

Carbohydrate: 8g

Fiber: 0.9g

Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Iron: 0.5mg

Sodium: 31mg

Calcium: 19mg