Maple Roasted Carrots & Leeks with Tahini Drizzle

Aside from yams and mashed potatoes, what's your favorite Thanksgiving accompaniment? I recently did a food poll on Facebook, and it appears that most people favor roasted carrots over any other vegetable side dish.

I love roasted carrots, but I think dressing them up in something exotic makes them way more delectable! And since most people seem to enjoy carrots too, I thought I'd create a unique and exciting recipe!

If you're anything like me, and love sexy spins on simple dishes, try my Roasted Maple Carrots with Tahini Drizzle! It will be the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving line-up!

TIME: Prep - 10 minutes, Cook - 30-40 minutes

YIELDS: 4-6

Ingredients

2 pounds of carrots, peeled with stalks chopped off

1 - 2 leeks, washed thoroughly, greens chopped off and sliced into 1/4 inch thick circles 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon of real maple syrup 1 teaspoon of Pink Himalayan Salt, divided 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

Method 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 2. Prepare carrots and leeks as listed above. 3. Toss all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. 4. Place ingredients on a nonstick sheet pan (or spray sheet pan with cooking spray). Roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Check after 35 minutes, if the carrots are tender, pull them out of the oven. If not, check every 2 minutes until tender.

Tahini Dressing 1/4 cup of tahini paste 1/2-1 cup of boiling hot water 1- 2 tablespoons of real maple syrup 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar Pink Himalayan salt & black pepper to taste 1. Boil 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water on the stove. 2. Combine 1/2 cup boiling water with the tahini, maple syrup, and rice vinegar. Whisk until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Before serving time, drizzle tahini sauce on carrots and garnish with the following: 1-2 green onions, sliced 1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds (raw/roasted and salted optional)