3 New Ways to Cook With Carrots Like You've Never Seen Before

Here's how to transform carrots three ways into one delicious spring dish.

ByABC News
April 9, 2015, 6:43 PM

— -- Spring is in, and with that comes a bounty of seasonal vegetables to cook with. Yeah, you could roast, steam and grill them like you always have before. Or, you could take a cue from chef Amanda Cohen and go crazy with your veggies in fun, new ways.

Cohen, owner of vegetable haven Dirt Candy in New York City, is known for her inventive takes on produce, such as Brussels sprouts tacos and smoked broccoli dogs. One dish takes the humble carrot and transforms it in three new ways for a carrot waffle topped with carrot slaw and deep-fried carrots. Take inspiration from her dish with the three carrot tricks below that are sure to shake up your stale kitchen routine.

PHOTO: Vegetarian restaurant Dirt Candy's Amanda Cohen transforms carrots three ways into one delicious spring dish.
Vegetarian restaurant Dirt Candy's Amanda Cohen transforms carrots three ways into one delicious spring dish.

Juice Them
Carrot juice is delicious to drink on its own, but Cohen uses the orange liquid to color and flavor waffles. She makes waffles just as you normally would -- mixing flour, sugar, buttermilk, eggs, oil, etc. -- and adds the juice for a fun, unusual kick. Plus, adding the vegetable juice makes waffles more than just a breakfast dish.

Pickle Them
Pickling your veggies breathes new life into produce, extending freshness and switching up the flavor. Cohen thinly shaves the carrots and lets them sit in a solution of lemon juice and salt for an hour.

Deep-Fry Them
It may go against the healthy ethos of a vegetable, but deep-frying them can be so sinfully good. Just toss the carrots with some corn starch and fry them at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 seconds.