Here is one wickedly easy recipe from The Woman’s Day Collector’s Cookbook that packed a punch as far as flavor is concerned.
I was looking for something really simple to accompany some homemade chicken strips last night for dinner, and was also looking for something to cross off another mark on my cookbook challenge. It wasn’t easy, because while there are quite a few recipes that I want to try, there are not many that I think my kids will want to try eating.
By the way. Homemade chicken strips? Piece of cake. Make crumbs with something- anything. Crackers, corn flakes, stale bread, stale potato chips, etc. Add some seasoning of your choice- I like garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Toss strips of chicken breast into the crumbs and bake for 20 minutes. That’s all it takes, and the kids clean their plates every time.
But back to the carrots. This really is a non-recipe recipe, and I debated not even doing it because it is so simple. But at the same time, I can’t say that I’ve ever had cooked carrots sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, and maybe I was in for a whole new taste experience. I decided to go ahead with it, and I’m glad I did.
I started by peeling and cutting three large carrots. The recipe called for “hot cooked carrot strips” and while I’m usually one who cuts carrots into coins, I liked the visual idea of carrot strips, so I went that route. Once I had my strips, I put them in a small saucepan with just a touch of water. Then I put that over high heat, added a lid, and let the carrots steam for a few minutes. Once they were cooked through, I drained them and added them to my serving dish.
Into the microwave went a tablespoon of butter, and once melted, I drizzled that all over my carrots. And finally, I grabbed the can of Parmesan cheese (yes, can of cheese- I use it sometimes) and added a healthy sprinkle to the carrots.
This was surprisingly delicious! In retrospect, I would have liked a touch of fresh black pepper added myself, but overall, this was a very tasty and simple way to serve carrots on the side. I can only imagine how much more delicious this will be when the carrots are fresh from the garden and rainbow colored. I certainly didn’t expect the change in flavor from simply adding Parmesan to cooked carrots, and yet there it was. This simple side dish even presents nicely, and could be used to dress up any plain old dinner.
Another winner. I’ll be making this again.
Carrots Parmesan
Drain hot cooked carrot strips and put in serving dish. Pour over melted butter or margarine, and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese.