When we were little, my brother and I had distinctly different eating styles. While an early-in-life petting zoo incident led me to stay away from anything that ever had a face (a phase which lasted nearly 20 years before I came to my senses), he refused to eat anything that ever had a root. My parents, of course, insisted he eat some kind of vegetable and so every night they would put three baby carrots on his plate along with whatever protein and starch they were serving, and every night he would pretend to choke them down while actually stuffing them in the pockets of his sweatpants. Inevitably, he would forget they were there and toss his pants in the family hamper at the end of the night. On laundry day, my mom would discover a dozen petrified baby carrots at the bottom of the dryer. Weirdly, these shriveled, ugly carrots actually look kind of like my brother’s laundered ones, but, though I (thankfully) never tasted the ones he left in his pants, I am willing to wager these are much better.

Slow-roasting draws the carrots’ natural sugars out, while a slightly sweet and spicy glaze makes them more special than simple buttered carrots. I like to serve these alongside grilled meats.

• ingredients
• 2 lbs peeled baby carrots (I prefer to use actual baby carrots, known as petites carrottes, with the tips of their stems intact) $3
• extra virgin olive oil Pantry
• salt and pepper to taste Pantry
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted $1 for a stick
• Sriracha to taste (I usually use about 2 tsp) $2 for 16 oz.
• 1 tbsp honey Pantry

Total Cost of Ingredients $6

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread carrots out on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Use your hands to toss to ensure carrots are well-coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Roast for 18-20 minutes, rotating halfway through.

In a small bowl toss together the butter, Sriracha and honey.

Drizzle over cooked carrots and toss to coat. Serve warm.

Serves 3-4.