If you've only had carrots plainly boiled you could be forgiven for thinking they are not very exciting. But with just slightly more imaginative cooking, carrots' abundant natural sugars can produce unexpected and delicious flavours. This is good news, because carrots are one of the most health-building vegetables we have, with especially good amounts of carotene, potassium and fibre.
Carrots and carotene
Carrots are an excellent source of the phytochemical carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A, essential for growth, eyesight and fighting infections. As an anti-oxidant, carotene helps protect against heart disease and cancer. Two- to four-year-olds need 400-500mcg daily; five vitamin drops a day, plus a good normal diet, is recommended.
Cooked carrots supply more carotene than raw ones because cooking breaks down carrots' tough cell walls, thus releasing all the carotene inside. Juicing also does this. Also, carotene is absorbed better when a little fat is eaten at the same time. Eating large amounts of carotene can turn the skin orange, but this isn't dangerous and it has nothing to do with vitamin A poisoning. The colour goes when less carotene is eaten.
It's possible that phytochemicals could be more important for good health than vitamins or minerals. This would explain why taking supplements is no substitute for eating good food.
Using carrots
Non-organic carrots contain widely varying amounts of pesticide residues. As the tops and outer layers are the most affected, peel them lightly and cut off about 3cm of their tops. Unfortunately, these discarded outer layers are also the most nutritious so, if possible, use organic or home-grown carrots which only need to be scrubbed.
If you can afford only one organic vegetable, choose carrots. To keep carrots fresh, store in damp paper inside a closed plastic bag in the fridge.
MAKING CARROTS TASTE SWEET
- Caramelised carrots
This is an especially delicious recipe. The carrots reduce a lot during cooking, so start with plenty!
1 kilo carrots cut into thin sticks (a mandolin does the job quickly); 6 tbsp olive oil; 4 tbsp water; a heavy frying pan with a well-fitting lid
Heat the oil and water, stir in the carrots, cover tightly and cook on very low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring once or twice only, until completely soft, very lightly caramelised and luscious.
- Roasted carrot dice
Diced carrot, about 1cm size; olive oil
Warm a little olive oil in a baking tray at gas 6, 200 degsC. Add the dice and toss in the oil to coat all over. Roast for about 35 minutes, turning once or twice, until soft, sweet and lightly browned. For variety, sometimes mix with diced parsnip, swede, beetroot or sweet potato.
- Carrots Vichy
A classic French recipe. Real stock is best, but a stock cube and a dash of olive oil will do.
Carrots; chicken stock; knob of butter; chopped fresh parsley
Cook thinly sliced carrots in chicken stock for about 12 minutes. Gauge the amount of stock so there is almost none left when the carrots are done. Then stir in the butter to make a shiny sauce and add some parsley for extra sweetness.
GETTING CARROTS EATEN
- Fresh carrots are nicer than frozen or tinned.
- Beat cooked, pureed carrots into a little buttery mashed potato. Pile it up into a 'red mountain' on a heated serving dish. Can children guess what it is?
- Make enticing-looking stir-fries with lots of carrot and red, orange and yellow pepper sticks.
- Vary the way you cut carrots: try semi- and quarter circles, irregular chunks, flat sticks and so on.
- Have carrot sticks as finger and party food; a dip helps to get them eaten.
- Grow some! Very tiny carrots are delicious and taste quite different.
CARROT RECIPES
- Carrot and orange salad
500g grated carrot; 175g sultanas; juice of two oranges; 4 tbsp sunflower oil; 1 tbsp wine vinegar; pinch salt and pepper
Rinse the sultanas in hot water; leave to soak in orange juice to plump up well. Then mix in everything else.
- Carrot and cheese slice
This makes a delicious, economical vegetarian main course that freezes well. It's from the ILEA recipe book 'Fun Eating at School' every London school used to have. It gives 16-20 portions.
600g grated carrot; 225g grated cheese; 1 tbsp brown flour; 110g rolled oats; 90g real butter; 90ml milk; black pepper; handful sesame seeds (optional); a greased baking tin about 30cmx20cm
Mix carrot with dry ingredients in a large bowl, saving half the sesame seeds for later. Melt butter in a small saucepan, add milk, then mix into the dry ingredients. Press evenly into the tin, roughen the top with a fork and sprinkle on the saved sesame seeds. Bake at gas 4, 180 degsC for 30 minutes.
- Carrot flowers and carrot seeds
When growing carrot tops in water, try having the tops 3-4cm long. Start the tops off in spring or early summer, and when the roots are long enough to swirl round the saucer, plant the tops in sunny spot outside in pots of earth or compost. Keep watered, as with any plants, and over the next few weeks, watch for the appearance of clusters of tiny white flowers which should eventually produce seeds.
Nutrients in raw carrots per 100g
Young carrots old carrots
Carotene 7807mcg 12472mcg
Vitamin B6 0.07mg 0.14mg
Niacin 0.2mg 0.01mg
Folate 28mcg 12mcg
Vitamin C 4mg 6mg
Vitamin E 0.56mg 0.56mg
Potassium 240mg 170mg
Calcium 34mg 25mg
Magnesium 3mg 9mg
Iron 0.3mg 0.4mg
Copper 0.02mg 0.02mg
Zinc 0.1mg 0.2mg
Fibre 2.4g 2.4g
Source: The Composition of Foods, MacCance & Widdowson
GET COOKING Cakes are favourites with any children, and can be made as healthy as other foods, says Emma Comer of Tall Trees Kindergarten in Frome, Somerset
Think of cakes for children and the word healthy does not automatically spring to mind. At Tall Trees our nursery cook, Meg Smith, provides healthy and nutritious cakes as dessert for the children, as a regular part of the weekly menu plan.
The difference with our homemade cakes is that they are packed with fruit or vegetables, such as carrot, apple, banana - even courgette. These fruit and veg make the cakes wonderfully moist and more-ish, and the fact that the ingredients are 'hidden' means even the fussiest children will eat them.
Another healthy aspect of our cakes is that we use only wholemeal flour - and the children do not even seem to notice the difference. We also use:
- only a minimum of organic unrefined brown sugar
- local free-range eggs
- organic sunflower oil or, if the recipe requires it, organic butter instead of margarine.
Below is an example of one of our most popular healthy cakes - but get experimenting! If you are lucky enough to have fruit trees, these cakes are also ideal to use up any glut of fruit harvested yearly.
TALL TREES WHOLEMEAL CARROT AND CINNAMON CAKE
To make approximately 40 portions
225g organic soft brown sugar
480ml organic sunflower oil
8 free-range eggs
350g grated carrot
450g organic wholemeal flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mix spice
STEP BY STEP
- Place sugar, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl and mix well, using a blender until the mixture is the texture of thick cream.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and spices together, then add the carrot.
- Add these to the egg mixture, using a metal spoon and figure of eight to fold in the mixture and blend it all together and keep it light.
- Put the mixture into a large lined baking dish, as the cake will rise.
- Bake at 180 degC, 350 degF, gas 4 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- To test if it's done, prod the middle of the cake with a cocktail stick. If the cocktail stick comes out clean, the cake is cooked.
- Turn the cake on to a baking rack and slice when cool.
Emma Comer is owner-manager and Meg Smith is cook at Tall Trees Kindergarten, Frome, Somerset. Visit www.talltreeskindergarten.co.uk