My Prairie Cookbook (24 page)

Anyone can make glazed carrots—I bet Ma Ingalls did—but these are my own Asian-style glazed carrots. Their flavor is complex but they're still easy to make. By this point, you can see that I've worked hard to create different ways to get my kids to eat vegetables. They love this carrot dish so much that I have to triple it every time.

Serves 4

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 carrots, peeled and julienned

¼ cup (60 ml) sake

¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

•
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and cook until limp, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sake, soy sauce, and sugar. Cook until the liquid evaporates, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the red pepper and serve hot.

This dish is very simple and very delicate, and the mint makes it unexpected and refreshing. I like to serve it with the Rack of Lamb with Rosemary and Thyme (
this page
) or the Lemony Baked Ham (
this page
).

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 carrots, diced to ½ inch (12 mm)

2 large shallots, halved and thinly sliced

1 pound (455 g) frozen baby peas, thawed

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint leaves

1¼ tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

•
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots and shallots and cook, stirring, until the carrots are just tender, about 8 minutes. Add the peas and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove the peas and carrots from the heat and stir in the mint and butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot.

This is my youngest son's favorite way to eat corn on the cob. There's no need for butter or anything else, really, except maybe a touch of salt. This corn makes a great summer meal with MG's Barbecued Ribs (
this page
).

Serves 4 to 8

Vegetable oil, for frying

8 ears supersweet corn

Salt

•
Pour the oil into a large pot to a depth of 2 inches (5 cm) and heat over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles.

•
Shuck the corn, removing all of the silk, and fry it, several ears at a time, until most of the kernels are deep golden, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Drain the corn on paper towels and season to taste with salt. Serve immediately.

Want your young ones to eat their spinach? Serve this dish and watch it disappear! In fact, I always double this one. Try it alongside the Pan-Fried Trout with Butter Sauce (
this page
).

Serves 6

3 pounds (1.4 kg) spinach, stems trimmed

¾ cup (1½ sticks/170 g) unsalted butter

¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour

¾ cup (180 ml) milk

8 slices bacon, finely chopped

3 shallots, finely chopped

¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

•
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the spinach and cook until the leaves are completely wilted, 30 to 40 seconds. Drain the spinach in a colander set in the sink and cool under cold running water. Using your hands, squeeze out as much excess water as possible from the spinach. Transfer the spinach to a cutting board, chop, and set it aside.

•
Melt ½ cup (1 stick/115 g) of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk, then stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thick and pasty, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

•
Melt 2 more tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and fry, stirring often, until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots and fry, stirring often, until the bacon is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes more. Stir in the spinach. Add the milk mixture and stir until melted and incorporated. Add the cream and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes more. Serve immediately.