Like spinach, carrots seem to be the neglected step-child of our menus. They may make an occasional appearance in a stew, or at a holiday dinner, but although the virtues of this brightly colored veggie are well known, many of us just don't serve carrots all that often. What a shame! Carrots are so good for you, packed with beta-carotene, the best form of vitamin A. They're also good for your complexion and contain antioxidant (cancer fighting) properties and are a powerful agent in your anti-aging food arsenal. There's simply nothing bad to say about this inexpensive veggie. Aside from the hot side dish of carrots, or addition to the stew pot, we've got five new ways to enjoy carrots in a variety of carrot salad recipes, that are quick to fix and satisfying, so much so that even kids won't balk!
When preparing carrot salad recipes that call for shredded or grated carrots, use a spray bottle to spritz them with bottled lemon juice, to avoid discoloring due to oxidation. The lemon juice helps retain that bright orange color.
1.This old-fashioned carrot salad recipe seems to have been forgotten in our modern menus. Your Mom or Grandma might have served this one regularly, for all the right reasons. Quick, inexpensive, nutritious and tasty. Prepare a package of Jell-O(TM), with half the water boiled and the remainder in ice cubes (to gel quickly). When partially gelled, toss in a cup of shredded carrots and stir. When ready, top with non-dairy whipped topping. Kids might mistake this for a dessert!
2.Mix a cup of shredded carrots with a half cup each of raisins and slivered almonds. Stir the mixture into a cup of plain yogurt. A healthy snack, side dish or dessert, ready to eat in minutes.
3.A 'veggie cup' is another quick and easy carrot salad recipe. Grated carrots, mixed with mayonnaise or plain yogurt, as you prefer, makes a light, healthy mid-afternoon break snack food. You can bolster the fiber content by adding finely sliced celery in about a 3:1 carrot-to-celery ratio. Optionally, you can spritz this carrot salad recipe with a dash of lemon juice to brighten up the flavor.
4.Enhance the traditional chef's salad with our neglected carrot friend. During the summer months, along with tomato wedges, cucumber, onion and whole pitted black olives, a sliced hard-boiled egg, a few strips of chicken breast surrounded with a ring of shredded or julienned carrots makes a colorful and filling meal, low in calories and nutritious.
In winter, try this carrot salad recipe: on a bed of crispy greens, add julienned carrots, finely sliced broccoli and cauliflower florets, green onions, a sliced white mushroom and sliced black olives for a nice, healthy dinner salad.
5.Our last carrot salad recipe also doubles as a side dish or dessert. Even kids like this one. Combine a half cup of orange juice and teaspoon of powdered ginger with a teaspoon of cornstarch in a small pot, whisking together over medium heat, just until the sauce is of a consistency which barely coats a wooden spoon. Cool the sauce and mix just a tablespoon or two with 1-1 cups of coarsely grated carrots. Serve in a small dessert cup.
All of these are delicious ways to get your quota of veggies! Giving carrots a more prominent place in your menus is a smart move your family will love.
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