Come January (I know – we’re not quite ready to go there yet)… just stay with me here… come January, I’ll be focusing my posts on healthy recipes for the new year. I am very excited! So excited, I couldn’t sleep last night, thinking about all the goodness coming our way in 2014! I thought it would be fun to provide a little foreshadow of the types of dishes you can expect to see in less than a month. (OMG!) This recipe, Roasted Rainbow Carrots, is one of our faves! My crew would eat just about anything roasted, anytime, and these carrots are no exception!

The caramelized sweetness of any vegetable that’s roasted in high heat is to die for. There is never an excuse to not eat our veggies when there’s an oven within our reach that has the capacity to heat-up to 450 degrees. We’re using this method, today, to cook very healthy, very beautiful, organic, rainbow carrots.

Dom and I recently shopped at our local, independent health food store, Green Planet Grocery, and came upon these gorgeous organic carrots rich in Vitamin A, dietary fiber, and antioxidants. As soon as I saw them, I knew they were mine. They beckoned me the moment I set my eyes on them.

I’ve made roasted carrots before, where I’ve cut them into bite-sized chunks, however, I have discovered that I prefer to keep them whole. It’s a pretty presentation. Especially when it comes rainbow colored.

So here’s the good part – not only do I love this recipe for its incredible flavor, happy colors, and nutritional value, it’s one of the simplest dishes you will ever prepare. Once you clean and peel the carrots, place them on a 13×9 cookie sheet, add olive oil, kosher salt and cracked black pepper then put them in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Then let the magic happen.

Come on….does it get any easier? Nope.

Aren’t they beautiful? Earthy and bright.

You know they’re ready when they’re browned, caramely, and slightly fork-tender. I like my roasted rainbow carrots, any roasted vegetable for that matter, to be a little toothsome in the texture department as well as the flavor department. No wrinkly, soft veggies for us! Al dente is what we’re looking for!