Cayenne Date Nectar Sautéed Carrots
Trying Something New
I was sent a few types of products from D’Vash Organics to try. They sent me a date nectar, date syrup, sweet potato nectar, and this cayenne date nectar. It is gluten-free, vegan, paleo, organic and non-GMO.
The only thing that they asked in return was an Instagram story share. Which I did. But I really liked these products so I wanted to share on my blog post, too.
Learning about date nectar has been fascinating. It’s a very healthy sweetener. And this brand is made from imperfect fruit to prevent food waste. So it is perfect for clean eating and serves a purpose to help tackle food waste of ugly food in the US. I love products like this so I’m really happy I was introduced to it.
And I love sweet and spicy veggies so the cayenne date nectar was the first one I tried. I thought we could try it with some sautéed baby carrots. And to keep it vegan, I used ghee to sauté the carrots. But you could easily use avocado oil or your favorite vegan butter.
Cayenne Date Nectar Sautéed Carrots
With these baby carrots all you really need to do is scrub and rinse them. And then cut some of the larger one in half. You want them to be about the same size so that they cook evenly.
Then we add a little ghee, a pinch of thyme, salt and pepper into a saucepan and sauté for until the carrots are nice and tender. If you like them crisp then just cook for less time. I cooked them for about 20 minutes over medium heat.
And you can roast them in the oven if you don’t want to mess with stirring them on the stove top in a pan. Tossing once or twice so one side doesn’t burn.
Then take off the heat and drizzle the spiced date nectar over the cooked carrots. Toss the carrots to coat them for this super simple and pretty healthy Cayenne Date Nectar Sautéed Carrots side dish.
Health Benefits of Date Syrup
Did you know that date nectar is really good for you? It is a vegan alternative to honey with less sugar and low on the glycemic index. PLUS it contains a ton of dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. #feedthegutbugs
It is an ancient sweetener (so it’s been around for a long time) with a lot of health benefits ranging from helping with digestion to supporting bone health because it is an excellent source of calcium, vitamin B6, vitamin A and vitamin K. The magnesium helps reduce heart disease.
So now we have a sweetener that is actually good for you and vegan!
Not to mention, that the cayenne pepper in it is really good for you, too. I’ve been putting hot sauce (Franks RedHot or Tabasco) on everything I eat for as long as I can remember. Pizza – put some hot sauce on it! Chicken and dumplings – put some hot sauce on it! Potato Leek Cauliflower Soup – hot sauce is essential!
Other Ideas for Cayenne Date Nectar
This sweet Cayenne Date Nectar tastes fantastic. Not too sweet or too date-ish. A really nice blend of sweet and spicy.
It was honestly one of the simplest and most delicious sides we’ve had lately. So good as a side dish even for a fancy meal like filet mignon and lobster with faux béarnaise sauce.
Perfect for Christmas dinner or a delicious Valentine’s meal day at home. Perfect with an Easter ham or Apple Cider-Brined Pork Tenderloin.
Can’t stop thinking about other ways to use it:
- drizzle on all the roasted veggies like cabbage, Brussels sprouts, root vegetables
- it would make the best dipping sauce for fried chicken tenders
- use date nectar instead of brown sugar in turkey sloppy joes
- make and awesome salad dressing with some olive oil and vinegar for my favorite massaged kale salads
Want More Side Dish or Salad Recipes?
- 14 nutritious + delicious salads
- mango black bean wild rice salad
- mom’s clean eating sweet carrot rice
- sweet chili sauce roasted brussels sprouts
- clean eating fancy green beans
- roasted mesquite smoked asparagus
Cayenne Date Nectar Sautéed Carrots
Organic baby carrots sautéed in ghee with thyme and drizzled with cayenne date nectar makes a delicious vegan side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch organic baby carrots
- 1 tbsp ghee (or avocado oil)
- pinch of dried thyme
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp D'vash organic cayenne date nectar
Instructions
Scrub carrots to remove any dirt. Cut off the ends and cut in half so that they are all about the same size for even cooking.
Add ghee to a skillet and heat over medium heat until melted. Add a pinch of dried thyme, carrots, salt and pepper. Sauté for about 20 minutes or until your desired crispness, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and drizzle with the cayenne date nectar. Toss the carrots to coat well. Serve immediately.
