Moroccan Carrot Salad

Fresh carrots ready for cooking

An invitation to a friend's "Falafal-fest" made me think about what dish I could add- falafal, hummus, stuffed grape leaves, and the like and needing something both easy and that I could find the ingredients to actually make, I settled on a carrot salad.   Fresh carrots are bountiful this time of year.  Besides, Sidney loves all things carrots and bringing a carrot dish would guarantee that there would be at least one dish that my sporadically finicky toddler would eat.

I couldn't find a recipe that actually excited me after perusing a variety of options I set about creating my own dish based on what looked and tasted right.  The verdict?  From Sidney, who ate two servings before it even left the house, "So good.  More carrots in a bowl please."  (For some reason carrots on a plate a simply not acceptable to him).  I think my mostly empty bowl I brought home indicates that this dish was a success.

MOROCCAN CARROT SALAD

1 1/2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into uniformly sized thin sticks

3-4 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 generous tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp coriander

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly ground sea salt

Fresh chopped parsley

1 lemon

1)   Place the carrots in a large skillet, add just enough water to cover, and steam on high heat for 5-7  

      minutes (or more if you like your veggies softer).  Drain and set aside.

2)  Return the skillet to high heat, add the olive oil, garlic, and spices and saute for 30 seconds.  Add the 

      carrots and toss to coat.

3)   Remove carrots from heat and place in a serving bowl.  Squeeze the lemon juice over the top, add 

       the parsley and mix to combine.  Adjust the seasonings to taste.  I prefer stronger flavors and added

       a bit more cumin powder.  The salad is best served at room temperature.

Easy-peasey and tasty to boot!

Ready to eat