A New View of Healthy Eating: Bamboo Steamer Organic Carrots

By Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

After a beautiful, self-care day with a gentle yoga class and some kitchen tools shopping, I decided to create a very simple meal inspired by my bamboo steamer. This is one of my very favorite organic carrot recipes that brings carrots to life with walnut oil, lemon, cumin, parsley, and sea salt. And, it is so simple to prepare. With the carrots, I also steamed some broccoli and cooked a pot of brown rice to enjoy with the meal.

I hope you are inspired to cook some carrots and other veggies in a bamboo steamer. It’s such a great, simple culinary technique.

Excerpt from A New View of Healthy Eating

Bamboo Steamer Carrots

A bamboo steamer is key to the new view of the year-round healthy eating kitchen. First, learn to steam carrots with the mindful process of steaming. Once you learn how to steam carrots, use your bamboo steamer to steam all kinds of veggies. Try a rustic medley of roots such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and golden beets. Or quickly cook butternut squash and pumpkin as the base for a warm fall soup. Also, experiment with steaming a mix of spring veggies like asparagus, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, and kale.

Bamboo Steamer Carrots with Cumin Seed Lemon Dressing

Finishing carrots with a simple herb and citrus dressing adds richness to the simple carrot. Enjoy creating a cumin seed lemon dressing by toasting cumin seeds for added flavor and aromatherapy, lightly tossing the carrots by hand with the dressing and mindfully plating your carrots. Enjoy!

SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

6-8 large carrots, rainbow if available, sliced
½ tsp cumin seeds
Pinch sea salt
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
½ fresh lemon
2-3 tbsp walnut oil (or extra virgin olive oil)

SIMPLE STEPS

Steam Carrots

To set up the bamboo steamer, fill a large (6- to 8-quart) soup pot with 3-4 inches of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.
Place sliced carrots into the bamboo steamer. Spread out the carrots so that they do not touch each other to allow the steam to rise and cook the carrots. Sprinkle carrots with a pinch of sea salt.
Place bamboo steamer on top of the pot with steaming water. Cover with lid and let steam for about 5-7 minutes or until just cooked.
Test the carrots for doneness. When carrots easily come off a fork, they’re ready.
Once the carrots have finished cooking, pour them into a large bowl.

Cumin Seed Lemon Finishing Dressing

While the carrots are steaming, prepare the finishing dressing.
To toast the cumin seeds, heat a small sauté pan over low heat. Add the seeds to the pan and cook lightly until fragrant. Once done, remove the seeds from the pan.
To make the dressing, gather the lemon and oil, and roughly chop the parsley.
Squeeze the lemon juice on the carrots and drizzle with the oil. Gently toss with your hands to coat. Add the toasted cumin seeds and sprinkle with a little salt. Add the parsley and toss again.
Mindfully plate and enjoy.