Maple-Roasted Carrot Salad

Firstly I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy Holiday!

Time has a way of clicking by pretty quickly. We are coming up on closing out 2016 but we still have a little time to enjoy not only our family and friends but some yummy food!

These last couple of months of the year people seem to bring out some of the oldies but goodie recipes. The traditional family ones they either grew up with or started themselves years ago. I tend to mix the two a bit; or at least try to a little. Turkey for Thanksgiving, Roast Beef for Christmas. Generally the same sides that go with both and yummy gravy.
I don’t think it will come as a total shock that I have a total “life envy” of Ina Garten. She seems down to earth, her recipes have never failed me and she has a “party barn” in the Hamptons; well hers might not be a party barn but that is what mine would be if I had one in my swamp.

Last week my husband was in the room when Ina was on The Chew and she made a Maple-Roasted Carrot Salad – it sounded so delish that my husband said “we” aka known as just me; should make that. Having yesterday off I had plenty of time to get a lot of things done so why not have something different for Christmas Eve dinner.

It was given an 11 out of 10 so I have to share it with you and I think you should totally make it to try it for yourselves. It might sound a little tedious but it really isn’t. Roasting the carrots is the longest part and the oven is doing most of the work anyway.

Maple-Roasted Carrot Salad
Preheat oven to 425’F

2 pounds carrots
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup pure maple syrup
⅔ cup dried cranberries
⅔ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (2 oranges)
3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic (grated)
6 ounces baby arugula
6 ounces goat cheese
⅔ cup marcona almonds (roasted/salted)
1½ teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon Freshly cracked black pepper

Prepare carrots to 1 inch wide and 2 inches long – because they are roasting at a high temperature you don’t want them too small.

Place in a medium bowl with the olive oil, 1 tsp salt and pepper toss together. Using 2 sheet pans (they need space you don’t want them to steam) Roast for 20 minutes, tossing once until the carrots are tender. Transfer all of the carrots to one sheet pan and add the maple syrup. Toss and roast for another 5-10 minutes just till the edges caramelize. Watch them. Once out set aside for 10 minutes.

Combine the cranberries and orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer then set aside for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl combine the vinegar, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of olive oil.

Place the arugula in a large dish, add the carrots, cranberries in their juice, goat cheese crumbled, almonds and the vinaigrette. Toss and serve at room temperature.