Ginger-Glazed Carrots
Naturally sweet carrots are coated in a savory ginger, brown sugar and orange glaze. If you’re looking for a simple, Thanksgiving Day vegetable side dish, this is it.
It’s week two of my Thanksgiving Day side dish recipe feature. Last week I kicked things off with a Sweet Potato Casserole. This week it’s Ginger-Glazed Carrots. I wanted to provide a side dish option that didn’t involve the oven, as that space is usually limited on Thanksgiving Day.
The most time-consuming aspect of this recipe is slicing and quickly boiling the carrots. I like to complete that portion of the recipe a day ahead of time. On Thanksgiving Day, the crisp-tender cooked carrots are ready to be heated in the skillet with the ginger and orange glaze. Now you have a side dish that’s ready in less than 15 minutes.
When it comes to deciding whether or not to peel the carrots, let me share some interesting information from an article I recently read in the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter. The authors explained that carrots consist of three layers: the peel or skin (the outermost layer), the phloem (the layer immediately below the peel), and the xylem (the inner core). Of course, when a carrot is peeled, the peel and a very small portion of the phloem is removed.
Vitamin C and niacin (a B vitamin) are mostly found in the peel, with appreciable amounts in the phloem (pronounced flow-em). Beta carotene, an orange pigment which is converted by the body to vitamin A, is found in fairly equal amounts in the peel and phloem. This is why peeled and unpeeled carrots have the same orange color. Although the xylem (pronounced zi-lem) contains the least amount of beta carotene, it does house the majority of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium found in carrots. As for the fiber, both peeled and unpeeled carrots are good sources.
With respect to the phytochemicals (naturally occurring plant chemicals that may offer health benefits) in carrots, approximately half are found in the peel, around 40 percent are in the phloem, and about 10 percent are in the xylem.
Bottom line – both unpeeled and peeled carrots provide plenty of beneficial nutrients. Let your personal taste, texture, and appearance preferences determine whether or not you’re going to peel the carrots for today’s recipe.
Don’t forget to check back next Tuesday for my final Thanksgiving Day side dish recipe – Wild Rice Salad with Pineapple and Grapes. It’s a delicious side dish that goes from the refrigerator to the dinner table.
To your health,
Darlene
Source: Mohn, E and Johnson, E. (2019). Does peeling carrots remove nutrients? Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter (Accessed: October 20, 2022).
GINGER-GLAZED CARROTS
Yield: 8 servings
Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Prep: 15 minutes
Ready: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
6 cups peeled and sliced fresh carrots
3 tablespoons spreadable butter and oil blend (such as Challenge Spreadable Butter)
1 teaspoon grated fresh gingerroot
1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon golden balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add sliced carrots. Cook until crisp tender; about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain well.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and oil blend. Add ginger and sauté 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. To the skillet, add orange juice concentrate, brown sugar, and vinegar. Stir to combine and cook until sauce is slightly thickened and bubbly; about 3 minutes. Add drained carrots and continue to cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove skillet from heat, add salt and stir to combine. Place carrots in a serving bowl and garnish with parsley.
Cook’s note: You’ll need about 2 3/4 to 3 pounds of whole carrots to yield 6 cups sliced.
Nutrition Information per Serving
125 Calories, 4 g Total fat, 2 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 6 mg Cholesterol, 144 mg Sodium, 22 g Total carbohydrate, 3 g Dietary fiber, 17 g Total sugars, 9 g Added sugars, 1 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 102 mg (8%) Calcium, 0 mg (0%) Iron, 378 mg (8%) Potassium
© 2022 RECIPES MADE HEALTHY BY DARLENE ZIMMERMAN, MS, RD LLC
