Things I Eat: Carrot Fries

Listen, listen...yeah. Carrots are good and good for you. Why not make them tasty?

Sure, potato fries are fine but most people fry them or get the frozen prepackaged type. Why not add diversity to your diet and eat some carrot fries?

Hold on to your hats - I even got a kitchen hack in here.

Now, your basic recipe is pretty simple. Keep in mind, you are in control of the flavor. Add some Old Bay or garlic - whatever.

You can also make these crispy by adding one simple step - dredge them in cornstarch! I didn't do that. It's important to have options. 

What You Need

• Carrots. A lot of carrots. Not baby carrots (which are a lie) but adult carrots. 
• Olive oil: The greatest gift of the peace loving olive branch
• Salt: of the earth
• Seasoning: Optional - you know, Old Bay, whatever. 

What You Do

Preheat your oven. Or, if you are using a toaster oven  because you forget to preheat the oven and spend less time waiting for it to heat.

Either way, go with about 450 degrees. I type "about" because my oven is a gateway to Hell and the temperature varies based on Beelzebub's mood.

Peel your carrots. Ok, ok. I read somewhere you can leave the peel on - but I assume the peel is dirty and just peel them. Then again, any germ that can survive 450 degrees - well, maybe it deserves to kill us all.

Anyhow, you are going to cut them into fry-like strips. Throw them on a baking sheet lined with tin foil. Yes, the tin foil is optional - I don't know if you like doing dishes or not. I don't. I use tin foil.

I started with about three carrots and the picture on the right shows how much that got me. So. .I peeled and cut more carrots. 

A lot more. I like to eat, people. I like to eat!

Once you got the amount of carrot sticks you want, get them all slimey with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. The oil gives it a nice roasting type cooking science thing. And the salt is good. 

Who do I look like? Alton Brown?

Ok, I made a lot and this is how they looked coated with oil and salt. I probably ate a couple carrots while making this. Why not?

Popped them in the oven for about 15 minutes. I think you might be safe between 10-12. My oven, again, was running cool. The Satanic Lord must have been out that day. . .

I actually made two batches - because I'm gluttonous - and the first set I pulled out when there was no browning, the second set I let some of the carrot brown. 

These are actually delightful. At the end of the day, they are roasted carrots but many experts (as in people who eat food) much MUCH prefer carrots cooked or steamed to being raw. Sure, you could argue raw is "more healthy" but if you are eating carrots roasted - more power to you!

We need to stop judging so much. If you want to roast a gosh-darn carrot, you roast it.  

To be honest, these carrots lost a lot of the raw carrot flavor - I would say it's the "bite" you sometimes get. They sort of have a texture and flavor of sweet potato fries. I served mine (to myself) with some tomato paste that I mixed with garlic olive oil. 

It was a treat, indeed!

Other Thoughts

I liked having some larger pieces and some smaller ones. You can sort of taste when they aren't roasted enough and still have that carrot taste. They do taste like sweet potato fries - which is good! They aren't crispy or crunchy - even if you keep cooking them, they only sort of brown but then they will shortly burn. 

I enjoyed this snack. I suggest you give it a shot. Remember. you can easily make these in a toaster oven. No sweat!

Carrots are pretty good for you - while it's a lie they do anything for eyesight, they are really good for you! They are loaded with vitamin A and biotin  which is great for immune system health and beautiful skin. 

Snack happy, my friends.