Serves 4

Remember, to shorten the roasting time of any root vegetable you can pre-steam it. For even speedier cooking, you can use bagged baby carrots.

Ingredients

2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced into 1-inch diagonals ½-inch thick
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 475°F.

Pour ½ inch of water into a pot fitted with a steamer insert and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add the carrots, cover and steam for 5 minutes.

Place a rimmed baking pan or baking dish (it should be large enough to hold the carrots in a single layer) in the oven to heat.

In a large bowl, combine the maple syrup, lemon juice, butter and salt.

Drain the carrots well, transfer them to the bowl and toss to coat. With a rubber spatula scrape the carrots onto the baking pan and roast, stirring halfway through, until tender and lightly caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Adapted from Fresh Food Fast by Peter Berley