What’s Up, Doc?
We are just over week out from Easter and apparently have carrots on the brain because today’s post is all about CARROT JUICE. A carrot juice cocktail and a carrot juice pasta because, if you are going to buy carrot juice, you may as well buy the big bottle. Your eyes (and taste buds) will thank you!
In the past, we have tended to post a cocktail or a pasta recipe on Fridays. Both seem like a celebratory way to kickoff the upcoming weekend. So we have really upped the ante by featuring a cocktail and a pasta in this post. Maybe should have saved this one for Good Friday (the carrot orzotto is completely meat-free if you skip the chicken meatballs)?!?!
During the thick of the 2020 quarantine, clothing designer Lela Rose posted a bunch of fun cocktail content on her @pearlbylelarose Instagram account. I saved her What’s Up Doc cocktail recipe as a candidate for an Easter cocktail and took the recipe for a test drive for the first time last night. You can read about our annual Easter cocktail tradition here. In my carrot juice cocktail research, I also found this alternative What’s Up, Doc Cocktail on Liquor.com. Because the Liquor.com version uses Fernet instead of orange juice and no honey, its a much more herbal take on this carrot juice cocktail than posted by Lela Rose. Let us know if you try any version of the What’s Up, Doc Cocktail this Easter season. Good for your eyes and cheers to drinking your vegetables!
What’s Up, Doc Cocktail
- 1/2 cup whiskey or bourbon
- 3 tablespoons carrot juice
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- Bit of honey (to taste)
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Pour over ice into a Collins glass. Garnish with a pretty carrot and a sprig of mint. Recipe Credit: @pearlbylelarose
Carrot Orzotto
This Carrot Orzotto recipe from Better Homes & Gardens has been a favorite of mine for years. Orzotto is an Italian dish similar to risotto but made with orzo pasta instead of rice and MUCH simpler to make. The first I made this recipe stands out in my mind. Sam and Emma were about eighteen months old, Ryan was gone traveling for work, and, as a result, I had been living off of dinners consisting of the twins’ leftovers and popcorn for the past week. I decided I needed to treat myself when Sam and Emma went to bed with a homecooked pasta and a BIG glass of red wine. The meal felt decadent to make and tasted even better as I sat in my kitchen savoring the Carrot Orzotto with the kids sleeping in their cribs and our bulldog Mack begging at my feet (heck, I even lit a candle for myself). It was selfcare at its finest! Maybe this memory is why I continue to love this Carrot Orzotto recipe so much, but I highly recommend you try during this Easter season or frankly any other time of year.
Last night, I served the Carrot Orzotto with a lemony riff on these Baked Chicken and Ricotta Meatballs from The Today Show by adding the zest from one lemon to the meatball mixture. The meatballs were a perfect complement to the Carrot Orzotto. We may have also accompanied the meal with a What’s Up, Doc Cocktail. My eyes are feeling GREAT this morning; thanks for asking!
- 2 cups carrot juice
- 1 14.5 ounce can chicken broth (1 3/4 cups)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 10 ounces dried orzo pasta (1 1/2 cups)
- 1 cup purchased shredded carrots
- ½ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ lemon, zested and juiced (1 teaspoon zest and 1 1/2 tablespoons juice)
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- Mint leaves
- Cracked black pepper
In a medium saucepan heat carrot juice and chicken broth over medium-low heat; cover to keep warm. Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat butter and oil over medium heat until melted. Add orzo; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until orzo is golden brown. Stir in shredded carrots. Add about 1 cup of the hot broth mixture to the orzo. Stir until absorbed. Continue adding broth mixture, 1 cup at a time, stirring until just absorbed. (Just a heads up, the process of adding the broth mixture and letting it fully absorb takes a bit a time. Fully worth it but please be prepared!) Cook until orzo is tender. Remove from heat. Slowly stir in up to 1/2 cup water until creamy. Stir in salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Top with feta, mint, and pepper. Serve immediately. Recipe Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
Let us know if you try the What’s Up Doc, Cocktail or Carrot Orzotto this Easter season by posting a picture on Instagram to our handle @letswineaboutitsister. We love to see you enjoying our recipes. Cheers!
