Just how much did last week’s romaine lettuce ban rock your world? As a result of several incidences of E. coli linked to the stuff, and the CDC’s subsequent nationwide no-no, you saw how ubiquitous romaine really is. From transformed salad bars to vacated produce bins to packaged salads featuring (heaven forbid!) spinach, we witnessed romaine’s deep traction in the American diet.
Perhaps you played around with other greens, leaning on arugula or kale for your salad fix. Maybe you sat things out, waiting for romaine’s triumphant return. (It has now, since the offending heads were narrowed to California’s Central Coast.) Or maybe you did what I did, aiming not to substitute another green, but a crunchy vegetable. That is, after all, what makes romaine craveable.
I turned to carrots—julienned and served in a Moroccan-inspired vinaigrette with pine nuts, cilantro and feta. If your inner child still loves Piccadilly’s carrot-raisin salad, grown-up you will love this. It’s fragrant, light and packed with flavor. Pair it with a soup, slap it on a sandwich, or serve it as a room temperature side with roast chicken, pork or shrimp.
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Here’s how:
Moroccan Carrot Salad
Servings: 4-6
¼ cup good quality olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon ground coriander (substitution: cumin)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 10-oz. package of shredded carrots
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup dried cranberries or raisins
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For garnish: torn cilantro and cubed feta
In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the next four ingredients until well blended. In a medium bowl, add the carrots, pine nuts and cranberries. Add the dressing to the carrot mixture and toss well. Add the cilantro and feta and toss gently.
Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor and the creator of its food and cooking blog, “Spatula Diaries.” Reach her at hungryforlouisiana.com.