Mashed Carrots with Honey and Chili Powder

Everyday Food (October 2010)

Left to our own devices, we easily turn to the same cast of side-dish characters when it comes to our weeknight cooking.

 

There are the frozen sweet peas, which we adore but served so often last winter that we've barely had them since. And then there's everything that falls into the category of roasted vegetables, which we do constantly, be it squash, turnips, sweet potatoes, or even something like radishes.  There's a lot of variety here but the base preparation is always the same:  Toss with oil, salt and pepper, and roast until nicely caramelized.

So we're always on the lookout for easy side dishes that can mix up our menus, especially when it comes to weeknight cooking. 

When it comes to preparations, it doesn't get much easier than this. First, steam the carrots for 25 minutes. If you don't already have a steamer basket, you can pick one up at most supermarkets for about $5. In our opinion, a steamer is one of those items where it's a-okay to get a cheap version, especially until you're finding yourself steaming every thing, every night. 

Once the carrots are tender, they're then mashed in a bowl with honey, chili powder, butter, salt and pepper. And that's it! 

We loved the results here.  The carrots are sweet and smooth, a nice stand-in for mashed sweet potatoes or, if you really use your imagination, mashed potatoes.

If we have one suggestion about this dish, it's that we found the chili powder to be completely lost in the carrots. 

We added the recommended 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder, tasted, and, well, couldn't taste anything. 

We added a second 1/2 teaspoon. Still nothing. 

And a third 1/2 teaspoon.  Nada. 

And then a fourth 1/2 teaspoon, and we got a tiny hint of chili powder. At this point we stopped adding. We loved the carrots as they were, and didn't want to muck them up by serving a little carrot with our chili powder. 

Maybe our chili powder is bum (though it is new and a very good brand). Then again, maybe the sweetness of our carrots just overwhelmed the spice. 

Regardless, we're not complaining. We love these carrots and will be mashing carrots all winter.  

That is, until we get back on the sweet-pea wagon. 

 

Mashed Carrots with Honey and Chili Powder
Everyday Food (October 2010)
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Set a steamer basket in a saucepan with 2 inches simmering water. Add 1 1/2 pounds carrots, halved lengthwise if large and cut into 1-inch pieces; cover and steam until very tender, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. Stir in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 2 teaspoons honey and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder; season with course salt and ground pepper. Serves 4.