Quick and Elegant Side: Roasted Dill Carrots

While making chicken soup for the B, I began to think that the carrots I'd sliced on my mandolin (I'm a sucker for uniform thickness, and I kind of suck at doing it myself) were a bit too thin and might become mushy in the soup. So...what to do - at nearly one in the morning, on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion - with two cups of carrot chips? Make the Bean the happiest girl in the world, of course!

Great for this side dish, but a bit too thin for a hearty chicken noodle soup...

We've had roasted dill carrots a number of times at one of our local markets, and the Bean absolutely loves them. However, the last time we went, she paid almost $5 for a small container of them and they were overcooked. Needless to say, she was pissed and complained how it was ridiculous that every time we came in, the quality was worse, the prices higher, and the portions smaller.

As I mentioned, I was dead on my feet, so I needed to get these carrots done and dusted ASAP. A quick toss in olive oil, chopped fresh dill (the very first harvest from our little garden!), and a sprinkle of sea salt, and into the oven (at 375° F) they went.

Ready for the oven!

Just ten minutes later, they were barely curling at the edges and ready to come out. Once they cooled a bit, I popped them in the fridge and hit the sack. Now you can certainly eat these warm, but we prefer them chilled - the carrots are wonderfully crisp and the dill really has a chance to release its flavor.

Either way, you have a beautiful side dish that takes about 2 minutes of prep, and 10 minutes of cooking. It's a fantastic alternative to boring, blanched green beans or bagged salad if you're making a steak, or just as good straight out of the bowl (which is how the Bean ate all of it, in about five minutes).