Mustard-glazed Carrots

Like many moms out there, I am always on the hunt for a vegetable side dish which is easy to fix and palatable to kids', well, palates. Bonus points go to a dish which is also somewhat healthy. Sure, you can batter, deep-fry and then serve a vegetable smothered with some fake-orange cheese sauce made from canned cheese soup and then watch in horror as your kids devour it, but that does not make it the best choice for a veggie side dish. An easy choice, yes, but not the healthiest.

I often set out a platter of fresh, raw vegetables cut into strips and small bowls with hummus, Ranch or Italian dressing. My kids' favorites are red bell pepper strips and chunks of zucchini, while I love the cherry tomatoes and Persian cucumbers. In cooler weather, once summer's fresh vegetables are just a fond memory, we're left with the root vegetables and winter squashes. My kids love carrots, but get tired of the standard raw carrot sticks. I tried this recipe out last week and, color me delighted, my older daughter went for seconds of this, saying, "Gee Mommy, these carrots are pretty good."

High praise, man. Gotta love it. ;-)

Mustard-glazed carrots

Ingredients:

• 4 large carrots, peeled (I ended up with about 3 cups of carrot slices)
  
• water
• 2 tablespoons butter or vegan margarine
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:

1. Slice the carrots on a diagonal, creating long, elliptical carrot slices.
   


2. In a large saucepan, bring carrots and enough water almost cover the carrots to a boil.
   


3. Reduce the heat, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes or until tender to your liking. Drain and set aside.
   


4. In the same pan, melt the butter until it is foamy. Add the brown sugar, mustard, and ginger, cooking over medium heat until the sugar and ginger are dissolved. Add the carrots back to the pan, tossing to coat.
   


5. Serve, adding salt & pepper to taste.
   

Notes:

• You may argue with me about how healthy this is, since the glaze includes some butter and brown sugar, but I don't think that a little butter now and then is a bad thing. It has GOT to be better than a platter of french fries, tater tots and fried mushrooms as a side dish. :D
  

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