Carrot Tzimmes

Ingredients

• Carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds -- 2 pounds
• Water -- to cover
• Honey -- 1/2 cup
• Lemon juice -- 1 tablespoon
• Cinnamon (optional) -- 1 teaspoon
• Salt -- to taste
• Butter -- 2 to 3 tablespoons

Method

1. Add the carrots, water, honey, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt to a large saucepan and stir together.
2. Set the saucepan over medium-high flame and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Remove cover and increase heat to medium-high. Boil to cook down the liquid until it forms a glaze on the carrots. Stir in the butter, adjust seasoning and serve.

Tzimmes Variations

• Meat tzimmes: Preheat oven to 325°F. Brown a 2 to 3 pound brisket in a pot or pan big enough to hold it over medium-high flame in a few tablespoons of oil. Set the brisket aside and saute a chopped onion in the same pot or pan until translucent and cooked through. Add the sauteed onion to the bottom of a casserole dish or roasting pan, top them with the brisket and surround the meat with 1 pound of chopped carrots and 1 pound of peeled sweet or regular potatoes cut into chunks. Mix 3 cups of water, the honey, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt and some pepper together and pour over the brisket and carrots. Cover and bake without stirring until the meat is tender, 2 to 3 hours. Let rest, covered loosely for 15 to 20 minutes before service. Slice the brisket and serve with the vegetables and pan juices.
• Tzimmes with potatoes: Substitute half of the carrots with 1 pound of peeled sweet or regular potatoes, cut into chunks.
• Balkan-style tzimmes: Make a simple dried fruit compote sweetened with honey.
• Other tzimmes variations: Adjust the amount of honey to suit your taste. Add 1/2 cup of raisins, currants or prunes. Substitute orange juice for some of the water if you like.