On Monday, I celebrated the completion of our brand new raised bed garden that my rockstar husband built for me (and as a bonus, he also made a organized compost heap thingy too. oh yes, this man is definitely a keeper) by planting 48 onion seeds and 48 carrot seeds.
It seemed like a good idea at the time, we’re experimenting with Square Foot Gardening after having bought this book which instructed me to spant 16 seeds per square foot (this only works with carrots and onions, and of course I’ll go into more detail with loads of photos in an upcoming garden post).
But it didn’t occur to me until a few hours later that all 48 carrots and 48 onions would be ripe for plucking at the same time. I’m thinking that many other novice gardeners, in their bright-eyed eagerness, also make this same mistake.
What will I do with 48 carrots? One can only drink so much carrot juice before their skin starts turning a hue of an autumn sunset. But these roasted carrots with a sesame ponzu vinaigrette is definitely on my list.
Six ingredients and a two-liner recipe. Simple yet so different from your normal repertoire of carrot offerings. I promise you that you’ll love the Sesame Ponzu Vinaigrette so much, you’ll be searching for reasons to use it. Fortunately, it goes with everything, including stirring it just plain boiled noodles.
How to make Roasted Carrots with Sesame Ponzu Vinaigrette
Slice your carrots just like this, I like going on the diagonal. Toss ’em with just a bit of olive oil or cooking oil. Then roast in the oven.
The Sesame Ponzu Vinaigrette is just 4 ingredients: sesame oil, ponzu sauce, sesame seeds and green onions.
Ponzu sauce is like the fun-loving sister to soy sauce. It’s a light, tangy, citrusy version of soy sauce, which makes it perfect for any type of dipping sauce (especially for dumplings!), salad dressing recipe or simple way to dress any steamed vegetables. I’m working with client Mistukan, who makes the very best ponzu sauce in the market, to develop simple, everyday recipes using their products.
Other recipes I’ve created for Mitsukan:
Asian Slaw with Ponzu Dressing
Chicken Satay Recipe
Steak Teriyaki Recipe
Just whisk everything together.
Roasted Carrots with Sesame Ponzu Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 pound carrot, peeled and cut into ¾” thick diagonal pieces
- 2 teaspoons cooking oil or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon ponzu sauce (I prefer Mitsukan Ponzu Sauce)
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon chopped green onions
- 1/2 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Roast the carrots until just tender but slightly crunchy at 375F for 15-18 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Toss with the cooked carrots.
