Name: Roasted Carrots with Chile and Lime
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 2 pounds carrots , peeled and cut into 2 by 2 1/2-inch sticks; 1 small chipotle chile (canned), chopped; 1 teaspoon adobo sauce; 2 tablespoons jalapeno jelly; 1 tablespoon lime juice; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 tablespoon melted and 2 tablespoons cubed); 1/2 cup water; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Why This Recipe Works

Root vegetables often get a bad rap. Sure, they have often been prepared and presented in unappealing ways, and can cook up hard and fibrous. But with creative glazes and tempered cooking methods, the Roasted Carrots with Chile and Lime recipe breaks out of its place as a humble side dish and gets ready to shine. Cooking carrots in liquid transformed their fibrous textures into silky, tender morsels. Root vegetables do an amazing job of absorbing the flavor of the liquid they are cooked in, making it a snap for us to add flavor that way. We found chicken stock to be too overpowering for our Roasted Carrots with Chile and Lime recipe, but water mixed with ingredients like onions, herbs and vinegar created just the right addition. Sweeteners such as jellies, jams and syrups helped bring out the natural sweetness of the vegetables and help tame any bitter flavors.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Toss carrots, chile, adobo sauce, jelly, 2 teaspoons lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and melted butter in 13 by 9-inch Pyrex baking dish. Pour water over carrots, cover with foil, and roast until carrots begin to soften, about 20 minutes.

Remove foil and continue to roast, tossing occasionally, until carrots are tender and spotty brown and liquid is reduced to thick glaze, 25 to 30 minutes. Add remaining teaspoon lime juice, cubed butter, and cilantro and toss until butter melts. Adjust seasonings and serve.