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With Easter so close, I’ve got carrots on my mind. Below are two recipes that make great side dishes for family gatherings. And, they’re naturally gluten-free!
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Slow-Cooked Balsamic Carrots

This is a recipe I created for a large Easter gathering. I wanted something tasty, but quick and easy — something I could put together in the morning and forget about until dinner. The recipe listed is for serving 12-14.

^[3]Ingredients:

4 lbs baby carrots (or cleaned and cut carrots)
1/4 Cup olive oil
1/3 Cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 Cup brown sugar

Directions:

1. Place carrots in a 6-quart slow-cooker.
2. Mix together oil, vinegar and brown sugar. Pour over carrots and toss  to coat.
3. Cover and cook on low 6 – 8 hours. Every couple hours I stir up the carrots to ensure even cooking, and keep the glaze distributed. (Though I’m not sure it needs it.)

Additional Notes:

• As you would expect, the petite baby carrots will cook faster than the larger “baby-cut” carrots.
• Cooking the carrots for so long in the vinegar/sugar glaze does tend to darken the carrots’ color. For a brighter color, add the glaze 30-60 minutes before you serve it. Toss to coat.
• I’ve never seen balsamic vinegar that has gluten in it, but check the label to make sure.

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Apricot-Glazed Carrots

This is a recipe my sister has had good luck with. Perhaps better with smaller gatherings, or just double it for larger gatherings. Makes 6-8 servings.

Ingredients:

2 lbs carrots, cleaned, scraped, and cut on diagonal (I just use baby carrots.)
3 TBSP butter
1/3 Cup apricot preserves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2-1 tsp freshly grated orange peel
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice or orange juice
parsley sprigs

Directions:

1. Steam carrots in salted water 20 minutes until just tender.  Drain.
2. Melt butter in saucepan and stir in preserves until blended.  Add nutmeg, salt, orange peel, and juice.
3. Toss carrots with fruit mixture until well-coated.  Garnish with parsley.  Serve at once.

Notable Links:

• For more gluten-free carrot recipes, visit The W.H.O.L.E. Gang for this week’s Friday Foodie Fix ^[4].
• Try Celiac Family’s dessert recipes for Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting ^[5] and Chocolate Eggs in a Cookie Basket ^[6].