I think one of the reasons that kids like carrots so much is that they are naturally sweet and super crunchy. My family has always preferred the flavour and texture of raw carrots rather than cooked and I can’t say I blame them. I’m always looking for new ways to get these nutritional powerhouses onto their plates; this salad is a really popular option and gives me yet another reason to use my vegetable spiral cutter, though a grater works just fine too. The Moroccan-inspired spices are familiar and comforting, complementing the carrot’s naturally sweet taste. The harissa (which I use to add a gentle boost of heat to all kinds of dishes) adds a pleasing counterpoint and the mint just makes the dish sing. You should be able to find harissa at stores specializing in Middle-Eastern or African ingredients. The best thing about this salad, aside from its fantastic flavour? It takes just 5 minutes to prepare.
Ingredients
Directions
Use a mortar and pestle (or a bowl and the bottom of a small drinking glass) to crush the coriander seeds. Put coriander, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, harissa, and honey (or agave) in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
Add olive oil, lemon and orange juices; whisk again until well blended.
Add spiralized or grated carrots, mint and onions then toss gently to combine well.
Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
Garnish with additional chopped fresh mint and let sit 15 minutes or up to 2 hours at room temperature (or refrigerate for up to 12 hours).
Serves 4.
Sometimes I feel like lunch is the most challenging meal of the day, usually because my husband has eaten last night’s excellent leftovers before me. As a result, I’m often too hungry or pressed for time to pull together something delicious. I’ve been working on coming up with ‘make in a hurry’ recipes that are ideal for quick, super-tasty lunches (like my Ten-Minutes Miso Soup or Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts), and now I’ve got another one to add to the list. This salad-like dish honestly takes just five minutes to prepare and it’s so packed with flavour and nutrition that it will leave you feeling full and happy all afternoon. It can be made a few hours ahead of time and doesn't need to be refrigerated, so it's very portable too! Just in case you haven’t heard of a spiralizer or spiral cutter, they are the most amazing gadgets that turn raw vegetables into heaps of delicious noodle-like goodness. There are many models available; I have an inexpensive one that works like a pencil sharpener and it does the trick for me.
Ingredients
For the Ginger-Peanut Sauce:
For the Salad:
Directions
Combine all of the sauce ingredients and whisk vigorously until it has a smooth consistency. You want to be able to drizzle it on your dish, so add a bit more water if needed to thin it just a little. Taste and adjust seasoning if you would like it sweeter or spicier.
Trim both ends of the zucchini and use your spiral cutter (or a vegetable peeler or the coarse side of a grater) to cut them into long, thin ‘noodles’. Place zucchini ‘noodles’ in a serving bowl.
Drizzle sauce over zucchini noodles and toss gently to combine.
Garnish with chopped nuts and cilantro and serve with lime wedges to squeeze over top.
Serves 2 as a side dish or one as a meal.
RELATED: Know what goes well with salad? Cold brewed maple coffee that's just 'slightly' addictive
I have a love-hate relationship with coffee. While I find its aroma absolutely intoxicating, I really don’t like to drink it too often because 1) I always seem to need more sugar than I'd prefer to use to cut the bitter taste and 2) it often leaves me jittery and sweaty. In fact, my piano teacher has expressly forbidden me to drink any coffee on Wednesday mornings before my lesson because of reason 2. In the summer, my tastes turn towards cold beverages to keep me hydrated and moderately caffeinated; I’ve long been making cold-steeped teas to sip on throughout the hot days. I’ve tried iced coffee, which is hot-brewed coffee that’s chilled (and diluted) by pouring over ice, but found it bitter and, again, in need of a lot of sugar to make it palatable.
All this got me thinking that maybe cold-brewed coffee, served over ice, would be a great summertime beverage….and I was right! Here are the top four reasons why I will always have a jar of cold-brewed coffee in my fridge from now until it’s time to wear socks again:
Here is a step-by-step tutorial to make your own fantastically easy and delicious cold-brewed coffee:
Ingredients
Directions
Coarsely grind coffee beans. I recommend using a burr grinder (I used my grandmother’s old meat grinder!) to ensure you have larger pieces rather than a finer grind.
You can even put the beans in a sturdy zippered sandwich bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
See? Nice and coarsely ground.
Put the ground beans in the bottom of a large mason jar or other vessel that can hold the appropriate amount of water to accommodate the 1:8 ratio and pour cold water over the ground beans.
Fill the jar right to the top.
Cover tightly with a lid or plastic wrap and an elastic band and let brew on the counter for 12 hours or in the fridge for 24 hours then strain the cold-brewed coffee through 4 layers of cheesecloth (or any clean cloth) into a clean jar and discard the coffee grounds. If you notice a fair bit of sediment in the bottom of the second jar after the coffee has settled, filter it a second time (this just means your coffee beans were a bit too finely-ground).
Serve the cold-brewed coffee over ice, adding cream (or milk) plus maple syrup (or agave, or honey – any kind of liquid sweetener will dissolve better than granular ones in the cold beverage) to taste.
Makes 4 cups (32 ounces) of delicious coffee.
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