Carrot Puree with Hazelnut Tapenade

From EatingWell: September/October 2009 — Subscribe Now!

This carrot-potato puree has an amazing silky-smooth texture. We give it a sophisticated touch with a quick tapenade made with green olives, orange zest, hazelnuts and garlic. For a simpler dish, just make the puree and skip the topping.

READER'S COMMENT:

"I found the potato flavor overpowered the carrot, perhaps because I used sweet, delicately-flavored fresh carrots from the farmer's market. Also the tapenade flavors seemed too bold for the puree. Next time I will try it with just a...

Carrot Puree with Hazelnut Tapenade Recipe

4 servings, about 1/2 cup each

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1 pound carrots (5-6 medium), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts, toasted (see Tip)
2 tablespoons chopped green olives
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven fitted with a steamer basket. Steam carrots and potatoes until very soft, 12 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine hazelnuts, olives, orange zest, garlic and 1 teaspoon oil in a small bowl.
Transfer the carrots and potatoes to a food processor; add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and salt. Process until smooth. Serve each portion with a spoonful of the hazelnut tapenade.

Tips & Notes

Tip: To toast chopped nuts or seeds, cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 195 calories; 8 g fat (1 g sat, 6 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 28 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 5 g fiber; 504 mg sodium; 837 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (337% daily value), Vitamin C (28% dv), Potassium (24% dv).

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 1/2 fat