Moroccan Carrot Salad

Recently I have been hearing so many wonderful things about carrots. I've always thought carrots were.. fine, nothing amazing. Boy, was I wrong! Carrots are FULL of incredible vitamins and minerals, and I have truly come to love the unique taste! Imagine how elated I was when my step-grandma called me up and told me that she had a huge sack of carrots fresh from her garden to give me. YUM!

I also heard recently about the benefits of cooking your carrots whole, instead of chopped up.. Here's a quote from an article published in Medical News Today:

"Brandt and colleagues found that carrots boiled before cutting had 25 percent more of the anti cancer chemical falcarinol than those that were cut up before boiling. They also found uncut cooked carrots had higher concentrations of the naturally occurring sugars that give them their distinctive flavour." ... "Chopping up your carrots increases the surface area so more of the nutrients leach out into the water while they are being cooked." "By cooking them whole and chopping them up afterwards you are locking in both taste and nutrients so the carrot is better for you all round," she added. Read More Here

Here is one of my favorite recipes to share with you.. My SIL made this recipe for us when we visited her a few months ago. I changed just a few things to make it clean. Enjoy!

Moroccan Carrot Salad

1 lb carrots, steamed whole

While carrots are steaming, mix in a large bowl:

1/4 tsp salt

2 T Lemon/Lime juice

1 Tbsp Honey

2 tsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried parsley flakes

1/4 tsp cinnamon

When carrots have finished cooking, slice them,

or cut them into strips, however you prefer to eat them.

Toss with sauce and let it sit for several

hours to overnight to increase the flavor.

Enjoy!