SPICY CARROT SALAD WITH PISTACHIOS AND CRANBERRIES

Fragrant spices, bright colours, exotic flavours – this Middle Eastern style salad ticks all the boxes and tantalises your taste buds. I often serve this salad alongside my Moroccan Lamb Stew or other main dishes with similar flavours.  Having said that, it could be served next to other dishes with rather subtle and delicate tastes by way of contrast that helps you to appreciate the different textures and flavours.

To feed 6 people, you need:

8-10 medium carrots

1 big red chili, de-seeded

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed or finely grated

½ cup of dried cranberries

½ cup of mint leaves torn

1 tbsp of coriander leaves chopped

3 tbsp pistachio nuts, slightly toasted

For the dressing:

½ cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp honey

Juice of 1 lime

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Peel the carrots and grate them either with a grater or using a food processor, whatever is available and easy to use.  Finely chop the chilies and add to the salad together with garlic and cranberries.

Using a small jar with an air-tight lid, combine all the ingredients for the dressing and give it a good shake, have a taste and adjust so that you are happy with the balance of sweet and sour with a slight tang coming from the mustard.  Also bear in mind that the cranberries will add some sweetness too.

Pour the dressing over the salad, add nuts and mint and coriander leaves and mix quite well, give it a taste and adjust the seasoning.  Keep the salad in the fridge until serving.

The flavours of this salad are quite bold; however they should complement each other nicely.  And don’t worry that it might be too hot because of the chilies, the mind leaves are there to keep the heat under control.

Enjoy!!!

ORANGES, FENNEL AND ROCKET LEAVES SALAD

This salad is a delicious fusion between the sweetness of the orange, sharp aniseed flavour  of the fennel and peppery taste of the rocket salad.  You've got an interesting blend of different textures working together harmoniously and delivering fresh crisp accompaniment to any meat, poultry or a fish dish.  This salad is packed with vitamins, very healthy and is good on its own as a vegan or vegetarian option.

For 8 people you need:

4 oranges

1 medium size fennel bulb

1 small red onion 

1 packet of rocket leaves

100 gr of pitted Kalamata or black olives (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Method:
Peel and slice the oranges into the bite sized chunks.  Try to do it over the bowl to catch up the juices. Then thinly slice the fennel and read onion, add rocket leaves and give everything a good toss.  Add a good splash of extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle the olives on top.  

Enjoy!