Easy Carrots with Preserved Lemon, Garlic and Cinnamon

I don't know about your week, but mine has been total confusion with work sandwiched in between appointments and errands. Running from one thing to the next. We've spent more time in the car, and eaten more unplanned meals out.  I like to go out, but I much prefer to go to places where the food has a good chance of being better than what I fix at home. Quick pick-up meals usually just depress me, and I often end up eating things I wish I hadn't later. One more French fry and I won't be bathing-suit ready until 2014. Thank goodness the weekend has been quiet, and I actually had time to make a real dinner last night.

We had some beautiful strip steaks in the freezer, to thaw and cook, but I wanted something other that the usual steakhouse standards to serve as sides. Plus, I wanted to show you how to use some of the Moroccan style preserved lemons I showed you how to make last month. While these delicious carrot edge a bit towards Moroccan flavors, they have a sweet- savory taste with a little salty and lemony burst from the preserved lemons. Addicting.

Lazy is my middle name, and one of my main tasks this afternoon was a nice nap. Which didn't leave me a whole lot of time for slicing and dicing. And this dish takes absolutely none, if you buy baby cut carrots. I actually prefer the baby-cut over true baby carrots in this because they are generally sweeter. And you can plop the whole thing in one pot, put it on the stove and you are good to go.

Preserved lemons add such a burst of flavor, I don't know why you can't find them
in every supermarket in America.
But then, it's so easy to make your own.

Note: baby cut carrots, as opposed to actual baby carrots, are mature carrots that have been cut into the size and shape of immature, baby carrots. They have a richer carrot flavor, but do take a few minutes longer to cook. And we use a cinnamon stick, rather than powdered cinnamon so the finished dish of carrots doesn't look all muddy. I like to leave it on top as a decoration when serving. Silly, huh?

Dump and run, almost.

Easy Carrots with Preserved Lemon, Garlic and Cinnamon

Ingredients:

1 lb. baby-cut carrots
3-4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 small whole cinnamon stick
2T honey
1T unsalted butter
water
2 quarters of a preserved lemon, rinsed, pulp discarded, rind cut in julienne

Instructions:

1.Place everything through the butter in a medium ( about 3 quart) covered saucepan. Add just enough water to not quite cover the carrots and other ingredients.

2. Bring to a boil uncovered, then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook the carrots until just barely tender, about 15-20 minutes.

3. Remove the lid and add half of the julienne lemon rind, raise the heat and cook until the water disappears. Watch carefully so the carrots don't  burn. remove from the heat, stir in the remaining lemon  rind and serve.

Serves 4.

I promise the Broccoli Puree recipe later in the week.
It was a great steak dinner!