The Carrot or the Stick ...?

I seem to be getting my Cooking Karma back -- in the past few days I've made cheese omelettes with hash browns, sauteed salmon with asparagus and grape tomatoes (which started out as fillets with vegetables on the side ... until the fish stuck to the pan, at which time it became a kinda hash when I threw everything in together), and last night I grilled steaks.

Yeah, it doesn't sound like much for someone who loves to bake bread and who pits her own tart cherries every July rather than buying them in a jar. But given that, once again, I am abruptly boyfriend-less (third summer in a row!) just when I had grand plans for outdoor concerts and eating ice cream and going for walks in the sunshine, I think I'm doing pretty well.

And so, in honor of the nice dinner on a gorgeous sunny day, I determined to make a more glamorous side dish than the simple sliced fruits I've been serving as I eased my way back into the kitchen. It's also perfect for the Side Dish Showdown, which I entered last month with a recipe for Indian Spiced Potatoes. There are so many fabulous recipes from so many amazing cooks! I am proud to be even a small part of it.

It only took about 5 minutes to cook the shredded carrots in butter and orange juice, so this is a quick and easy -- but delicious and festive -- dish to accompany anything from beef to lamb to chicken to pork to even (gag! retch! gasp!) tofu.

So, whether you need a nice salad to tote along in a pic-a-nic basket, or something fast to serve after a long day at work, or an easy side dish to make on a hot summer day, or just a soul brightener with beautiful color and festive flavor, this will solve all your problems. And isn't it infinitely more interesting than just some carrot sticks looking forlorn on the plate??? (I do like the Plain Jane version very much, but they're definitely not singing a scintillating Siren song.) A hint of cumin or curry probably wouldn't hurt these, either ... :)

Orange-Glazed Shredded Carrots

2 tablespoons butter
6 ounces shredded carrots
juice of 1 orange
pinch of kosher salt

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the carrots until they start to soften, then add the orange juice. Cook, stirring whenever you feel like it, for about 5 minutes 'til most of the liquid has been absorbed. If only everything else in life could be this easy!