On the Table: Juice-Braised Carrots and Squash

What could be better than getting your fruits and vegetables (lots of nutrients!) in the same dish?  I had some squash I wanted to use, plus some carrots and some fruit juice in the refrigerator, so I decided to try using them all in one dish.  It was delicious!  To prepare:

Peel two carrots and cut them up into one inch pieces.  Cut up half a squash into one inch pieces (you could cut smaller pieces, you just want everything to be the same size).

Melt half a tablespoon of butter in a medium-sized pot over medium heat.  When the butter gets hot, add the vegetables to the pot.  Cook for a few minutes, stirring often.

Add into the pot a splash (about 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup - you want just a small amount in the bottom of the pot) of fruit juice and salt.

I used this juice:

It is a fairly mild juice, but it packs a whole mix of fruits: apple, pear, maqui berry, elderberry, boysenberry, blueberry, blackberry, pomegranate, grape, and cranberry.  I think you could use a variety of different juices in this dish, but I would avoid anything that is super-strong.  For example, I think a cranberry-blueberry blend would be great, but I would avoid a 100% cranberry juice because it would be overwhelmingly tart.

Stir the vegetables well.  Cover the pot and reduce the heat so the liquid just maintains a simmer.  Cook for about 30 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.  Remove the lid and cook for about 5 more minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

I actually tried wrapping the carrots and squash up into a burrito with pepper jack cheese, and it was delicious that way too!

Enjoy!