Pumpkin Focaccia + Roasted Carrots With Walnuts And Coriander

Today I am sharing some savoury dishes with you. A very simple but delicious roasted carrot side dish and for Extra Bite subscribers, a pumpkin focaccia (with caramalised onion and fresh rosemary.)

I roasted the carrots in thick sticks until tender and lightly caramalized, tossed in olive oil and ground coriander. Then there are walnuts for texture and crumbled feta for saltiness. Over top there is a simple lemon olive oil dressing and plenty of fresh coriander (or you might call it cilantro.) It’s the perfect blend of textures and sweet and salty.

Roasting the carrots helps them caramelize, which brings out their natural sweetness. Make sure the carrots are spread out on the baking sheet without overlapping or else they will steam. There is a hint of honey in the dressing but apart from that it’s the carrots themselves that bring the sweetness. This serves around 4-6 people as a side dish, or if you’ve got leftover, it’s great cold too.

Roasted Carrots with Walnuts and Coriander

Roasted Carrots With Walnuts And Coriander

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Ingredients

• 650g (around 1 ½ pounds) carrots

•  1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 50g (1/2 cup) walnut halves

• 60g (about 1/2 cup) crumbled feta

• 1/3 cup lightly packed, chopped fresh coriander / cilantro

• Black pepper to taste

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 3/4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 teaspoon honey

• Pinch of salt

Method

Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F).

If the carrots are long, cut them into halves or thirds crosswise to create shorter sections, about 5-8cm long. For medium-sized carrots, cut each section lengthwise into quarters to make thick sticks. For very fat carrots, cut each half into thirds lengthwise, so you have six thick sticks per section.

Place the carrots on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with ground coriander, and season with salt. Toss to coat.

Roast the carrots for around 18-20 minutes, or until they are tender and a little caramelised. In the last 5 minutes of roasting the carrots, add the chopped walnuts to the baking sheet to toast them lightly.

Make the dressing - In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and a pinch of salt until well combined. Or, pop it all in a little container with a lid and give it a shake.

Remove the roasted carrots and walnuts from the oven and transfer them to a serving dish. Sprinkle over the feta and the chopped coriander and drizzle with the dressing. Season with black pepper. Serve warm or cold.

An Extra Bite

If you’re a free subscriber to my Recipe Newsletter, you’ll continue to receive a free recipe emailed weekly. I also have an “Extra Bite" monthly subscription plan for those who crave a bit more! This gives you continuous access to all the recipes in my growing archives—ad-free, plus bonus recipes. Thank you so much to those who support this newsletter through a paid subscription. This week's extra bite recipe is for pumpkin focaccia with caramelised onions and rosemary.

It’s a twist on the classic, made with pumpkin puree and topped with sweet caramelised onions and fragrant rosemary. The pumpkin gives the bread a great colour that deepens as it is cooked.