Cognac and Honey Roasted Spicy Carrots

This time of year everyone is very busy in the kitchen. What do you need when you're busy all week getting a family feast together? You need a quick side dish that you can dress, toss in the oven and forget about. Something that converts even cooked carrot haters into carrot lovers. This incredibly easy to put together vegetarian side dish is sure to wow your guests at Thanksgiving. Even more so if you are as lucky as I was and can find a bag of rainbow carrots. The garnish in the photo is chopped cilantro and crumbled cotija cheese.

Cognac and Honey Roasted Spicy Carrots

2 lbs. carrots (preferably rainbow carrots), scrubbed and sliced into 1/2" pieces
3 Tablespoons spiced cognac (such as benedictine)
1 Tablespoon dark honey (such as wildflower or buckwheat honey)
2 1/2 Tablespoons butter
1 Teaspoon sriracha or other chili sauce
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a saucepan over medium low heat, melt butter. Add cognac and stir to incorporate.
3. Add honey and when honey has completely melted take sauce off heat. Add sriracha and stir to combine.
5. Toss carrots with sauce, add salt and pepper to taste, then lay out in a single layer on a baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove smallest pieces of carrot and flip larger pieces. Bake for another 10 minutes.
6. Serve warm and toss with minced fresh herbs (optional).

I hope you enjoy this recipe and I welcome your feedback!

Bacon Fat Roasted Potato Chips w/ Blue Cheese, Bacon Bits & Spring Onions

Ahh, leftovers. After I made those yummy scones I had plenty of Gorgonzola and a few spring onions lying around. What to do with it? Well, I had two large russets and a hankering for chips and this recipe was born! I hit upon rendered bacon fat as a means to make the chips a little bit more decadent and also because hello, bacon!

Good things start with rendering the fat from bacon!

I'm once again including the photo of the finished chips (from last post) to remind my readers of the deliciousness!

Bacon Fat Roasted Potato Chips w/ Bacon, Scallions and Gorgonzola

2 medium russet potatoes, thinly sliced*
6 slices of bacon, chopped into 1/2" pieces
2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled finely
4 Spring onions, white & light green parts sliced finely
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In an 8" heavy bottomed skillet over medium-low heat, render bacon fat from chopped bacon.
2. Grease 2 cookie sheets with the bacon grease, lay potato slices singly in even layers. Brush bacon grease onto the tops of the potato slices.
3. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until edges start to brown just a bit.
4. In a bowl toss still-warm chips with black pepper.
5. Top with Gorgonzola, crispy bacon from the skillet and spring onions and serve.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and I welcome your feedback!

*This is easiest with a madolin