Are you craving sweet carrots to eat? With parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme? Remember this for those whom you love; bake and serve when ready to dine.
HOW TO MAKE IT
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Wash whole carrots, leaving the stems on. There's no need to peel the skin of spring and early summer carrots, as the slight bitterness we taste in fall and winter carrots is noticeably absent.
Toss carrots with 2 T Avocado oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and sprigs of your favorite herbs - parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme.... Mix gently with hands or spatula to evenly coat carrots.
Roast for 25ish minutes until tender and brown on the outside. Smaller carrots may only need about 20-25 minutes. Larger carrots may need a little more than 30. minutes. Serve the carrots solo, or on a bed of mixed greens with vinaigrette.
Simple Vinaigrette: in a glass jar combine 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 clove crushed garlic, 1/4 t sea salt, 1 t mustard, 1 T chopped parsley, and freshly ground pepper to taste.
WHY IT'S HEALTHY
Carrots have three crucial nutrients - beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin -that boost eye health. One cup of carrots contains 428% of the daily recommended amount of Vitamin A. Parsley does an amazing job alkalizing the body and is great for anything mouth-related such as gum disease, tooth decay, and dry mouth, as it impedes the growth of unproductive microorganisms. Sage contains rosmarinic acid which is an anti-inflammatory compound that can help reduce swelling and inflammation and considered highly beneficial for rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, asthma, and atherosclerosis. Rosemary helps alleviate nerve-related conditions, boosts the immune system, fights off bacterial and viral infections, aids respiratory ailments, and can strengthen digestion and improve circulation. Thyme is a natural anti-fungal, can reduce inflammation and pain and has a compound, carvacrol which has been found to have positive effects on improving mood if consumed consistently for just 7 days. It does this by increasing levels of both serotonin and dopamine.
ENJOY!
