Recipe: Carrot-thyme timbales

Total time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

Servings: 4

1 tablespoon butter plus

extra for greasing baking dishes

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 pound carrots, peeled

and thinly sliced (about 7 medium)

1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2cup heavy cream

Freshly ground black

pepper

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter 4 (6-ounce) custard cups or ramekins.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the carrots, garlic, thyme and salt and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add one-half cup water, cover the pan, reduce the meat to medium-low and cook until the carrots are soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

3. Remove 12 carrot slices and arrange 3 over the bottom of each custard cup or ramekin (you can cut them in half to make them fit). Combine the remaining carrots in a blender with the cream and purée until completely smooth. Season with pepper to taste. Add the egg and egg yolk and process until smooth. Divide among the cups.

4. Place the ramekins in a larger baking dish and pour in boiling water to come halfway up the sides. Bake 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes. Run a small spatula around the rim of each and turn out each onto plates to serve, sliced-carrots side up.

Each serving: 233 calories; 4 grams protein; 11 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 20 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 152 mg. cholesterol; 301 mg. sodium.