*Vegan
Some vegetables get all the love, but here we honor the side pieces. The ones who have to settle for celebrating Valentine’s Day on a random night that’s convenient for the other person; the half-price-chocolate getters, the 99-cent-store balloon recipients. Like carrots, side pieces might not be as sexy as the main dish, but if you dress it up right and make it spicy, it’ll rock you harder.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic paste (or 2 garlic cloves, minced)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon kosher salt
10 small (but not baby) carrots, peeled
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except for the carrots until they form a paste.
3. Coat and rub the carrots with the spicy paste.
4. Place the carrots on the lined baking sheet. Drizzle the remaining spice mixture on top.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, rotate the carrots, and bake for another 15 minutes. They should be tender, but not mushy.
6. Don’t just throw it on the plate. Make an effort to sex it up. What’s the point of a new side piece that doesn’t excite you?