Roasted Carrots with Green Olive Dressing

So I have this silly thing about the recipes I share here being “blog worthy”. Whatever the hell that means. In some ways it makes its own odd kind of sense: I don’t want to be yet another blogger in a sea of bloggers telling you all about how my roast broccoli is somehow life changing. I mean, really. It’s just roast broccoli. You can find that green bastard errywhere thanks to the glory of the internet. But on the other hand, part of the reason I always feel like the recipes I share here need to have a little “twist” on the norm or be just a little different is because me and my self esteem have a definite love-hate relationship.

But let’s face it: no one is really going to be judging me on the quality of my cruciferous veggies. And stressing about whether or not a recipe is somehow “good enough” for the blog isn’t exactly worth the time and energy dedicated to worrying about it! So I’m making an effort lately to share a few of my go-to, everyday weeknight recipes like these Roasted Carrots with Green Olive Dressing, while kicking negative self talk in the face.

I roast up a tray of vegetables most days and while I’m on Team Roast All The Things, sometimes it gets a little boring. A quick addition of a sauce (like my dairy free cheese sauce) or dressing like this one are just enough to liven things up without too much hassle, especially since they can be whipped up in advance.

Sauces, dips and dressings are a big part of how I get by on the Autoimmune Protocol without meal planning (my kitchen nemesis) or getting totally bored of plain meat and vegetables. But this Green Olive Dressing is so quick and easy that you can whip it up on a weeknight while doing something else in the kitchen. In this case, roasting carrots. It’s one of what I nickname my “the cupboard is bare” recipes, since I usually have all of the ingredients in the fridge or pantry. While I do add fresh parsley or cilantro for color here, on days where I really need to go grocery shopping, I skip that completely and just throw in some extra dried seasonings.

My secret always-in-the-fridge ingredient for this green olive dressing is a jar of good green olive tapenade, sometimes just called olive spread. My favorite brands tend to have just three ingredients: olives, olive oil and salt. Which means no surprise ingredients, no hidden nightshades and a verifiable flavor bomb of goodness. Tapenade also keeps in the fridge forever, making it perfect for a grab and go weeknight kitchen situation. It makes an easy dressing base whipped up with olive oil and lemon juice, plus it thickens things up nicely which is a bonus when you can’t add the typical mustard of most dressings. If you can’t find a tapenade or green olive spread without added ingredients, you can substitute very finely chopped olives of your choice.

I like to play up the salty olives and brightness of lemon juice by adding some garlic, vinegar free salted capers and nightshade / seed free Italian Seasoning. The simple combination makes a dressing that is flavorful without being overpowering and a lovely blend of light, refreshing and fragrant. With bonus points for being ingredients I always have at home.

The green olive dressing itself goes well with simple greens, roast chicken and vegetables. But lately I’ve been particularly enjoying it paired with the sweeter root vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes. It makes a great change to the typical sweet-on-sweet or cinnamon-heavy vegetable dishes at this time of the year. I make the dressing while the carrots are roasting and then, when the carrots are caramelized and just starting to crisp at the ends, but still tender, I drizzle them with the dressing just before serving. This dish is the perfect combination of sweet and savory and one I turn to on many a fall evening!

A quick note: you can use olive oil or avocado oil to make the dressing. Personally, I find the flavor of an extra virgin olive oil can be a little strong for my taste, so I prefer to use a more neutral tasting avocado oil like the Chosen brand here. You could also use something like a light olive oil, if you like. Either will work and it’s up to you as to your preference. You can purchase Chosen avocado oil on Amazon, but you’ll find it much, much cheaper at Costco if you have a membership! (PS, no, this isn’t a sponsored post — just me chattin’ about what I use in the kitchen!)

This recipe was included in the Paleo AIP Recipe Roundtable.

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