Lately I find myself thinking about those foods I actually like but don’t find myself preparing very often. I tend to struggle a bit making sure I have consumed enough vegetables – and I like many vegetables in many forms. Like carrots.

Most of us encountered the lowly carrot as part of a crudites platter along with cauliflower, broccoli, celery and such. Frankly, I think most folks were more into the dip (usually Ranch) than any of the veg. <shrug>

If you are one of us who were raised by cooks who tended to overcook vegetables – any vegetables, we remember those over done, mushey orangey things that did not inspire eating.

I think that carrots need a review if only to remind ourselves that there is potential for something delicious. Consider:

Steaming carrots allows us to cook them without their turning into paste and preserving their sweet flavor. Speaking of that flavor, if you like sweet potatoes carrots should be an easy shift because their flavors are similar.

Taking that a step farther, try adding some butter and cinnamon to your carrots. You might be surprised. Add a touch of brown sugar, too. Remind you of anything?

Roasting carrots deepens the flavor and when combined with potatoes in a pot roast the end result is … divine. It all comes down to the roasting.

Don’t overlook the old standby, carrots and peas. Both are mild flavored, which is not a negative, and are a great addition to casseroles and soups, not to mention as a side with pretty much any protein.

Carrot salad can be iffy but there are quite a few recipes out there that are not the usual mix. America’s Test Kitchen did one a few years ago that changed Julia Collin Davison’s opinion about carrot salad. Search ‘ATK Carrot Salad Recipes’ to see all kinds of great options.

While you are checking out the salads, don’t forget to check out the soup recipes. A nice carrot soup can be an unexpected pleasure.

As I contemplate my meal plan for the next month I will be adding carrots in as many places as I can. They are easy to prepare, easy on the budget, and tasty on the plate.

Care to join me?

Is there anything simpler than chicken and rice? You have so many options when it comes to chicken. My particular favorite is to bake it in the oven. Breaded or not. Sauced or not. A good baked chicken can be so easy and tasty.

Now there is a lot of leeway when it comes to baking chicken. I like to take a flat of boneless skinless chicken breasts and put them in the oven (or slow cooker), season them and let them go until they are cooked tender and tasty. I also have my favorite breaded chicken that is already seasoned. It really comes down to what you have on hand and what you want to make.

Rice, however, can be a bit fussy depending upon how you do it. Or where. When I lived on the west coast I always cooked my rice on the stove top and I never had any issues. Moving to the Midwest, however, brought some interesting challenges. Yes, I can cook it on the stove top and half the time it worked and half the time it was pretty iffy. Keep in mind I used the exact same recipe. My solution: I bought a rice cooker. For the most part it produces excellent rice. Occasionally I have issues…like when I add frozen veg to the steamer basket without allowing for the extra water on the veg.

Dan over at America’s Test Kitchen has done some research and provided excellent information on how to cook rice. Check it out:

FWIW That First Knuckle Trick works every single time.

So, when you are looking for comfort food that is easy to prepare and tasty, why not cook up some chicken and rice?