Carrots Two Ways
Both of these carrot recipes highlight Middle Eastern flavours, currently one of the most popular ethnic dishes. Harissa paste, tahini, coriander (called cilantro in North America), yogurt, cumin and coriander are all typical ingredients featured.
Roasted Carrots with Pickled Red Onion and Yogurt-Cilantro Sauce
Ingredients
Enough carrots for your crowd
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
Pickled Red Onion:
1 red onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced on a mandoline
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup sugar
Spice Mix:
½ Tbsp. ground cumin
½ Tbsp. ground coriander
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted
½ tsp. Sugar
Pinch of salt
Yogurt Cilantro Sauce:
⅓ – ½ bunch cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, set aside some leaves for garnish
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup tahini, well stirred
1 jalapeno, roughly chopped and seeds and white membranes removed if you prefer less heat
1 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 lemon, juiced, about 2 Tbsp.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and scrub carrots, remove top and bottoms. Slice carrots in half lengthwise. Place carrots on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-35 minutes, depending on thickness of carrots.
Pickled Red Onion:
Combine vinegar and sugar in small saucepan, bring to a boil. Put sliced onions in a small bowl or mason jar and cover with hot vinegar/sugar mixture. Cool and place in fridge.
Spice Mixture:
To get maximum flavour from the spices, place cumin and coriander in a dry frying pan and bring heat to medium. Toast spices until fragrant, just a few minutes. Remove from heat and add sesame seeds and sugar. In a mortar and pestle, grind spices together with sesame seeds. Alternatively, pulse for a few seconds in a small food processor. Or just leave them whole!
Yogurt sauce:
Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined. Set aside.
To serve:
Spoon about ½ to ¾ of the yogurt sauce on a shallow serving plate and place roasted carrots on top. Sprinkle with some of the spice mix and scatter pickled red onion over top. Serve additional sauce, spices and red onion on the side or save them for another use.
Roasted Carrots with Cranberries
Ingredients
1 lb. or so of medium young carrots, scrubbed clean
⅓ cup fresh cranberries*
3 Tbsp. maple syrup, divided
Zest of ½ large orange
2–3 tsp. Harissa paste, spice level varies from one brand to another so start with 2 tsp. and taste and adjust
A few sprigs of thyme
1 garlic clove, finely grated
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup toasted nuts such as almond flakes or pine nuts
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Remove tops and bottoms from carrots and slice in half lengthwise.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix cranberries with 1 tablespoon maple syrup and mix in orange zest. Place on one end of the baking sheet.
In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 2 Tbsp. of maple syrup, harissa paste, thyme leaves, garlic, salt and pepper.
Coat the carrots in the harissa mixture and space them out on the baking sheet.
Roast for about 25 minutes, until the carrots are tender and cranberries are softened.
Brush carrots halfway through roasting with sauce.
Place roasted carrots on a serving tray, sprinkle with roasted cranberries, toasted nuts and fresh thyme.
Notes
You could use dried cranberries to scatter on the finished carrots, but it’s so fun to roast your own. If using dried, try to find low-sugar ones.
If you don’t have harissa paste, use a mixture of dried spices such as cumin, coriander, sweet and hot smoked paprika instead.
