Grilling carrots brings out their natural sweetness. Brush on a sweet-savory glaze that features freshly grated nutmeg, and the flavor pops even more. Fresh nutmeg is a hard, egg-shaped seed that’s about 1 inch long and grayish-brown in color. Look for it in small packages or jars in the spice aisle. Leaving 1 inch of green stems on the carrots adds a touch of color. One serving of this side dish contains more than a day’s worth of antioxidant vitamin A beta-carotene, which is necessary for boosting immunity and maintaining healthy skin and eyes.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
2 large bunches of carrots (at least 12 carrots, 8- to 9-inches long) with greens attached
2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons good-quality balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 whole nutmeg, very finely grated (about 1 1/4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon very finely minced fresh Italian parsley
Additional fresh-grated nutmeg for garnish (optional)
Directions
1. Peel carrots and trim 1/8-inch off bottom tips. Cut greens off top, leaving 1 inch.
2. Microwave carrots for 5 minutes, until they’re barely starting to get tender. Preheat grill to medium-high while carrots are cooking in microwave.
3. Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and grated nutmeg in a small bowl. Place microwaved carrots on a rimmed sheet pan and brush lightly with glaze.
4. Place directly on hot grill grates and grill until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Turn once and brush with remaining glaze at halfway point.
5. Garnish with minced Italian parsley and freshly grated nutmeg. Serve immediately.
Nutrition information per serving:
140 calories
2 g protein
22 g carbohydrates
5.5 g fat (1 g saturated)
0 mg cholesterol
268 mg sodium
710 mg potassium
75 mg calcium
0.7 mg iron
36,000 IU vitamin A
14 mg vitamin C
6 g fiber
