Healthy & Moreish Penne with Honeyfied Carrots

Usually, I find the most interesting stuff I cook emerges from my accidental visits into the kitchen or fridge. In this case it was this bag of troublesome carrots that just seemed to keep sitting there all on its lonesome every week I came home from my flights. I felt bad. So I cooked them.

These instructions might be a little sketchy since I experimented and adjusted as I went along, but this is simple as pie once you know how! (Serves 2)


Preparation

• Wash, then divide carrots horizontally into thirds and cut into vertical strips (pencil thickness).
  
• Slice the mushrooms and red onion.
  
• Finely chop the garlic (but not too small or it will burn too fast)
  
• Halve the tomatoes.
  

Go!

1. Add lots of olive oil to your high heated pan and throw the carrots in with some S&P and sprinkle in some freshly ripped basil.
2. Boil some water (a bit more than usual) in a pot for your pasta, but don't add the pasta yet.
3. Take about 1/4 of a mug of hot water from the pan and transfer into a small bowl. Add about 1/8th of a mug with olive oil. Take a good 2-3 tablespoons of the honey (I used Manuka as it's all I happened to have in my cupboard) and mix it all together. Throw in a teaspoon and a half of mixed herbs.
4. Your carrots should by now be lightening slightly in colour. Add enough hot water from the pot (with a tablespoon of honey) to the carrots to allow them to simmer and soften.
5. When the liquid finally evaporates, pour over the mixture of honey, oil, water and herbs to the carrots. Let that simmer again and then keep turning to brown them evenly.
6. When browned enough just at the edges, prepare a plate with double kitchen towel and transfer the carrots to the plate, making sure you keep the remaining carrot-coloured oil for later - don't throw it away.

Now, for the mushrooms and onions. Easy.

1. Use the remaining carrot oil to fry the onions with S&P.
2. (Throw pasta into pot somewhere around here)
3. Toss in some pine nuts at the last few moments to semi-roast them.
4. Transfer onions and nuts out of the pan into a bowl.
5. Add the carrot-coloured oil again to the pan, and the garlic. Don't allow it to brown or burn. Let it sizzle on high heat and just before it starts to turn brown toss all the mushrooms in.
6. Add a little hot water for softening the mushrooms.
7. When mushrooms are semi softened, add dashes of soya sauce to the shrooms with S&P, herbs & basil.
8. Before the liquid completely evaporates, throw the pasta in. Let all brown a little.

Food is now ready. Dish onto a plate and serve with your sweet, ripened toms & fresh basil. Tastes even better when you mix the whole lot together!