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[ November/December 2002 ]

Festive Green Beans with Cranberries
Winter Sunset Carrots


Recipes from Witch in the Kitchen: Magical Cooking for All Seasons,
by Cait Johnson (Destiny Books, 2001)

Festive Green Beans with Cranberries
Serves 6

Echo the colors of the season with this simple, pretty dish. If you don't have any dried cranberries on hand, you could substitute julienned red bell peppers.

Ingredients:
3 cups green beans, washed and ends trimmed
˝ cup dried cranberries
melted butter or olive oil, as desired
sea salt

Place the beans and cranberries in a steamer basket over boiling water and lightly steam until the beans are bright green and crisp-tender and the berries are plumped. Serve on a platter, drizzled with melted butter or olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt to taste.


Winter Sunset Carrots
Serves 4 to 6

Something about the bright, clear ginger taste of this recipe, coupled with the carrots' startling color, evokes winter sunsets and reminds us of the precious quality of light in this season. The days may be short, but the light is so beautiful.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 to 4 cups carrots, scrubbed and cut into ˝-inch rounds
1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup, honey or brown sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice (or lemon juice for a very zesty version)
2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger root (or 1 teaspoon dried powder ginger, or 2
tablespoons crystallized ginger)
sea salt

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the carrots in heated oil until they are just crisp-tender. Then add the maple syrup, honey or brown sugar along with the orange juice. Stir until the carrots are coated and the mixture has a nice glaze.

Sprinkle with ginger (use more, if you like) and sea salt to taste. Stir to blend flavors and serve warm.