Did you know that the 4th of April is 'International Carrot Day' - it has it's own website and I love the suggestion that we should all dress in orange and host carrot parties along with 'other carrot related festivals' - I'd love to know what a carrot related festival entails!
When I saw it was International Carrot Day, I realised just how much I use carrots in our meals, it’s actually one vegetable that I never run out of and I use in so many different ways, yet if you’d ask me what my favourite vegetable is, I’d probably not even include it in my top 5 (though this may know change!). The humble carrot is one of the only vegetables I’d eat as a kid, it was a staple of our family Sunday dinners, it appeared in stews, pies and all manner of dishes my mum would cook and these days, I use carrots in so many of our dishes that I feel pretty bad for overlooking it’s place in my favourite vegetables!
The health benefits of carrots
Rudolph and the Easter Bunny know what they are talking about - carrots are so good for us and adding them to your diet regularly provides you with a whole stack of health benefits:
- Carrots are rich in plant compounds called caratenoids and in particular one called beta-carotene. Our bodies convert beta-carotene into Vitamin A which is vital for good eye health, vision, our immune systems, healthy skin and mucusoa membranes in areas such as the respiratory system.
- Carrots are high in fibre so help to keep us full up as well as being good for our digestive system, plus they are very low in fab and calories making them ideal for anyone looking to lose weight.
- Carrots are also a good source of Vitamin C which is a powerful antioxidant and has so many important health benefits in it’s own right. Our bodies can’t create or store Vitamin C so it’s important that you add it into your diet regularly and in sufficient amounts.
- Carrots also contain lots of other important nutrients such as potassium and Vitamin K which our bodies need daily.
How do you eat your carrots?
When I actually really had a think about it and looked back over my Instagram food diary account (https://www.instagram.com/georgina_living_healthy/) over the past week, I realised just how many times I’ve included carrots in my meals and how many of my favourite dishes include them:
- Spaghetti bolognese
- Chicken curry (well all curries!)
- Tagine dishes
- Roasted as a side dish for fish
- In every soup I make in the soup maker
- Slow cooker stews
- Raw in salads
- Stir fry
- Katsu curry sauce
- Porridge (don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!)
- Breakfast muffins
- As they are as a snack!
So, I decided to do a bit of research and experimenting to find some new carrot based recipes to make the carrot the star of the dish!
Roasted carrot hummus
Ingredients
- 250g of carrots (tops chopped off but I don’t peel)
- A tin of chickpeas (drained)
- 2 cloves of garlic (I actually swapped to garlic powder)
- 1 tsp of cumin seeds (or ground if you prefer)
- Juice of one lemon
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
Step 1
Chop carrots into bite size chunks, place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Add garlic cloves (if using) or like me, sprinkle with garlic powder and the cumin
Step 2
Place in a preheated oven (190°C / gas mark 5) for around 30 minutes
Step 3
Allow the carrots to cool for about 15 mins and then add to either a blender or a jug with all of the other ingredients
Step 4
I use a stick blender to blitz mine, if it’s a bit drier than you like, you can add a dollop of fat free natural yoghurt at this stage.
Step 5
The finished product (I didn’t add any yoghurt to mine)
Serving Suggestions
Hummus is really versatile and high in protein so it’s really filling.
I served some with my lunch (which was a Middle Eastern inspired grains bowl)
I also have loads in the fridge and it’s a perfect snack for when you are feeling peckish. (Served here on a ryvita multigrain rice cake).
Curried carrot fritters - makes 6-8 fritters
Ingredients
- Carrots (I used about 400g)
- 2 small onions or 1 large onion
- A handful of chopped coriander
- 1 tbsp curry powder (you can adjust to your taste)
- 50g of gram flour (chickpea flour)
- A couple of tablespoons of water
Step 1
Grate the carrots (I don’t peel the) and the onion and place in a mixing bowl. Add the coriander and the curry powder and give it a good stir to mix it all through
Step 2
Add in the gram flour and give it a really good mix to evenly distribute the flour through the mixture
Step 3
One tablespoon at a time, add water and give it a good mix after each tablespoon. You want the mixture to bind together but not be too runny.
Step 4
Cover a baking tray with baking paper and spoon large dollops of your mixture onto the tray. Use the back of a spoon to flatten them down. I use a silicone fried egg mould to make nice circles!
Step 5
Place in a preheated oven on 190°C / gas mark 5 for about 25 minutes or until they are firm to the touch and golden in colour.
Allow to cool before removing from the baking tray.
Carrot and pea curry - 4 portions
Ingredients
- About 400g of carrots (sliced into rounds)
- 1 large onion or 2 small ones (finely chopped)
- 200g of frozen peas
- A tin of chopped tomates
- 200ml of coconut milk
- 1 tbsp of oil (I used avocado), this is optional and you could just use a splash of water instead
- 1 tsp of crushed garlic
- 1 tsp of chilli powder
- 1 tsp of tumeric
- 1 tsp of cumin
- 1 tsp of coriander
- 1 tbsp of curry powder
Step 1
Place a large saucepan (with a lid) over a medium heat and add the oil (or splash of water if you are using) and all of the herbs and spices and heat for a couple of minutes.
Add the finely chopped onions and give it all a good stir to coat the onions in the spices and leave to cook for about 5 mins (if it starts sticking, just add a splash of water)
Step 2
Add the sliced carrots, the tin of chopped tomatoes and then fill the empty tin half way with water and add that in to.
Give it all a good stir, put the lid on the pan and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes or until the carrots are cooked through.
Step 3
Add the frozen peas and the coconut milk, give it a good stir and allow to simmer for 5 minutes
To serve
I had a portion of the carrot and pea curry, some rice and 2 of the curried carrot fritters.
If you wanted to add meat, I reckon chicken would go lovely in the curry, I’d add that at the start with the onions but I’m trying to eat more plant based meals these days so this was perfect and filling too as well as packing in the beta-carotene and all its goodness from the carrots. Next time I may even throw in a tin of chickpeas or some lentils to boost up the protein too.
So, there’s a few new ideas for the humble carrot – hope you enjoy and did you know, there’s also a whole virtual museum dedicated to the carrot if you want to find out more! There’s whole sections related to how to store it, recipes, trivia and history – who knew there was so much to know about the carrot! Here’s the link if you’d like to find out more: www.carrotmuseum.co.uk
I love cooking and finding new delicious healthy recipes to help me and my weight loss clients on their journeys.
I support all of my 1-2-1 coaching clients with personalised recipes and meal plans as well as tips and guidance to help them navigate their individual danger zones and triggers working together to come up with strategies that work for them long term.
If you’d like any more information on how my coaching programmes work, I’d love to hear from you. Just drop me a message on 07843 442607 or email georgina@mealplansmadeeasy.co.uk