Notes
I sometimes refer to this dish as “20 minute carrots” because it’s so simple and easy. I love it not just for its convenience, but also because it’s a great introduction to the technique of sautéing.
Sauté is a French term that means “to jump” or “to toss.” The technique is simple— add a bit of oil to a pan and toss the food in that pan until cooked through. It’s one of the quickest and easiest cooking techniques, and these carrots are a perfect showcase.
I like to cut the carrots into a fairly small dice, which helps them to cook quickly and evenly. This recipe is also a testament to simple ingredients paired well— a bit of lemon zest and lemon juice add acidity, and some chile flakes add a nice dimension of flavor and heat. I love using Cobanero chiles or this red pepper blend from Burlap & Barrel, but any chile flakes or chile powder works.
Here I’ve paired these with a whipped feta sauce, but you don’t have to do that. The carrots are great on their own, or you could simply serve them over a bed of Greek yogurt.
Ingredients
Whipped Feta
- 8oz feta cheese
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 lemon
- salt
- olive oil
Carrots
- 2-3 large carrots, or several smaller carrots
- chile flakes
- lemon juice + zest
- olive oil
- salt
Process
Whipped Feta
Put the feta and yogurt into the bowl of a food processor. Add a tbsp or so of olive oil, a pinch of salt, the zest of 1 lemon, and a tbsp or so of lemon juice.
Pulse until the entire mixture is well-combined and smooth. The mixture should be thick, creamy, and smooth.
Taste and adjust as needed with more salt or lemon juice.
Sautéed Carrots
Start by washing and/or peeling your carrots. If the carrots are small, peeling isn’t necessary. I find that it does remove some bitterness, so I’ll usually peel larger carrots.
Cut the carrots into a small dice.
Heat a stainless steel, carbon steel, or cast iron pan over medium heat. Once the pan is heated, add in a few tbsp of olive oil and allow the oil to heat up.
Add the carrots to the pan and toss to coat with the oil. Season with salt.
Cook the carrots, tossing occasionally, for 5-10 minutes. Taste throughout the process to check for texture (the carrots should be fully cooked but have a slight bite) and for salt. Adjust as needed with more salt.
Once the carrots are cooked, turn off the heat and add a generous sprinkle of chile flakes all over.
Add in the zest of 1 lemon, along with a big squeeze of lemon juice, and toss everything to distribute.
Taste the carrots and adjust as needed with more salt, lemon juice, or chile flakes.
As I mentioned before, these carrots are great on their own, with yogurt, or with the whipped feta.
Spread out the whipped feta on a place, and then pile the carrots on top. Serve immediately.
