Today’s post was supposed to be about Sticky, Sweet and Spicy Chicken — pan-sautéed chicken breasts with a thick honey-ginger-soy sauce. Unfortunately, I skipped over the part that said to “reduce heat and simmer,” and subsequently burned the sauce. Not tasty or blog-worthy. 

The side dish of honey-roasted baby carrots, however, was much tastier than I had expected. Side dishes aren’t given much thought in our household. We usually grab a box or bag of frozen veggies, give them a quick zap in the microwave, add a dab of butter and a pinch of salt and pepper. But I had half a bag of fresh baby carrots left over from making BabyL’s carrot purée, and wanted to use them up before they went bad. 

Unlike tonight’s chicken (which was just bad), these carrots were sweet and spicy; fork-tender, but not mushy. And they’ve pushed me to put more effort into side dishes every night. Why should the protein always be the star? 

Honey Roasted Baby Carrots
Adapted from: AllRecipes.com

Ingredients

• 12 ounces fresh baby carrots
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tbsp fresh dill
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with tin foil.
2. Spread baby carrots in an even layer. Drizzle with olive oil and honey, then sprinkle dill, salt and pepper. Toss until evenly coated. 
3. Roast in preheated oven to 30 minutes, turning the carrots over halfway through cooking time.