Oven-roasted baby carrots with mole sauce

Ingredients

Roasted carrots
25 baby carrots or 5 large carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
1 tsp. pure olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Mole sauce
1 tsp. pure olive oil
2 tbsp. Mexican mole spice mix (preferably one without chocolate or cocoa)
1 cup water
4 cloves garlic
2 tsp. unsalted butter
Kosher salt, to taste

Garnish
1 tbsp. crumbled cotija cheese
Toasted slivered almonds
Fresh cilantro

Directions

For carrots: For best results, blanch carrots first in a pot of boiling water 5 minutes or until they are half cooked. Drain and place on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet.Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss carrots in olive oil and salt and roast 10 to 15 minutes or until tender and a little brown around the edges.

For mole sauce: Warm oil and spice mix in a small, heavy-bottomed skillet over low heat 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add water, raise heat to medium-high and bring just to a simmer. Puree oil and spice mixture with garlic and 1 tsp. butter in a blender or food processor. Season with salt to taste.

To serve: Add 1 tsp. butter to 1/4 cup of the mole sauce and warm until butter is dissolved. Spoon sauce evenly over 4 plates and scatter roasted carrots on top. Sprinkle each serving with cotija cheese, toasted almonds and cilantro leaves.

Serves 4