30 Meals in 30 Days: Roasted Sesame Carrots & Yummy Fauxtatoes

Phew! I'm getting really behind here - not in the cooking aspect of the project, but in the posting! Photos are getting lost, recipes are getting mixed up but mmm, are we enjoying the new meals up in hurr.

Sometimes I find it really difficult to pair two entirely-vegetarian side dishes and call it a meal. It's helpful to add a biscuit on the side, but feeling confident in an all veggie meal is tough! I thought that pairing roasted carrots with mashed potatoes would do the trick, but it did still feel like it was missing something "meaty". In reality, however, we were stuffed to the brim and ate a good dinner. It's all in the mind is what I'm coming to learn ;)

I got this roasted sesame carrot recipe from It's All Good and really loved it - that's on my Definitely Make Again list. I hope you enjoy it too!

Here's what it's supposed to look like.

It's All Good, Page 160

Here's how to make it.

(This recipe is very altered in comparison with original It's All Good recipe).

Cut carrots to desired size. It's All Good suggests matchsticks but I don't find those are enough for us! Too small, I say!

Boil for 5 minutes.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in skillet with 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced. Add slightly boiled carrots into the oil.

Add 1/4 water and cook until carrots begin to soften. 

Drain, stir in 2 tsp sesame oil, and 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (recipe suggests black, I used white, whatever). 

Roast in oven for 15 minutes at 425.

Serve.

Here's what it really looks like.

Here's how we're rating it.

Taste value: 10/10 - I'm all about the carrots and sesame oil. Such a good combination! (Also I had never used sesame oil before so now I'm in a honeymoon phase with the stuff.)

Simplicity value: 8/10 - not very time consuming, and you could probably do the whole time in the oven for a little longer instead of using the pan.

Appearance value: 10/10 - nice and bright!

Entertainment value: 8/10 - I'd serve that to guests as long as there were a variety of other sides to choose from.

Coolness value: 7/10 - this isn't entirely new to us, but the sesame oil and sesame seeds really add to it!

I am a total sucker for mashed potatoes. Those buttery carbs get me every time.

In my search for healthier alternatives in the past, I have tried navy bean and cauliflower fauxtatoes and found they were too much leaning towards the taste and texture of cauliflower and not at all the taste and texture of potatoes. But these turnip-based potatoes offered a little more opportunity to match the smooth and creamy potato-esque-ness they deserve. Recipe is found on page 163 of It's All Good.

Here's how to make it.

Place one whole head of garlic in centre of tinfoil, wrap, and heat in oven at 400 degrees for 1 hour.

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil on medium, add 1/2 large diced yellow onion, and soften. 

Steam 1 turnip for the full hour the garlic is roasting. If it seems it's steaming slowly, boil it to speed the process.

Drain pot of steamed turnip, add roasted garlic (without the garlic paper), onion and olive oil, and 1 can of navy beans. Mix and blend with an emulsion blender.

Top with fresh rosemary.

Serve.

Cooking in the pot!

The final product!

Taste value: 7/10 - I'm not crazy about the taste of turnip but I find that the garlic really overpowers it. And that's good for me but if you aren't a garlic fan you won't be into it!

Simplicity value: 8/10 - super simple!

Appearance value: 4/10 - It looks nice as a side dish, but unfamiliar.

Entertainment value: 2/10 - I'm not sure I would try it with guests but I really did like it for us!

Coolness value: 10/10. I'm all for the new food things!