Spicy Moroccan Carrot Dip

The easiest way to describe the last few weeks is to say there have been ups and downs. Sometimes, I’m feeling calm, almost zen, about the whole thing. Very quickly, however, that can shift to a state of panic. Of course, I keep a smile on my face and try to downplay it all when talking to friends and family. I don’t want to be an additional source of negativity when everyone’s feeling a bit down. This may not be the healthiest approach and I’m working on being more honest (starting with this post).

Cooking and photographing and talking about food has done a lot for my mental health. To go from working constantly, the non-stop photoshoots and nights of editing images of so much delicious and beautiful food, to nothing has hit me hard. When I get in the kitchen and pull out my camera, however, I do feel a bit better.

I’ve been making this carrot dip for years and yet I am just now getting around to posting the recipe. Looking through the site, I realized I shared a moroccan carrot and lentil salad not too long ago. But this dip is a bit different and it can be added to all sorts of meals (in fact, we had it yesterday on our salads for lunch). Having this in the fridge is keeping me away from the chips and candy and cookies (so. many. cookies.) we have around (which have been my go-to snacks for the last few weeks). The color brings me some much needed joy, as well. I hope others feel the same.

Spicy Moroccan Carrot Dip

Yield:
1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Sesame seeds, for garnish

Rice crackers, for serving

Directions:

Add olive oil to a large sauté pan and set over medium heat. Add carrots, ginger and honey and stir until ingredients are coated. Pour in the water. Sprinkle the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt over the carrots and cover pan with a lid. Lower heat to medium-low and cook for approximately 18 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.

Remove lid and let it cool for 10 minutes. Transfer ingredients (including any liquid in the pan) to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until it becomes a chunky puree, making sure there aren’t any big pieces of carrot (it’s ok if there are small pieces).

Transfer the dip to a serving bowl. Top with chopped fresh parsley and sesame seeds. Serve with crackers (rice crackers recommended) or pita chips.

Huevos Rancheros

The tomatoes and jalapeno sizzled on the stove. Occasionally, Mayra would give them a flip with her tongs to check to see if the skin had begun to blister. She looked up at me, smiling, and pointed at the charred bits, saying, without words, "This is how it should look." From there, Mayra motioned for me to go to the molcajete, where I awaited for her next instructions. The jalapeno was tossed into the bowl along with minced garlic. A quick demonstration on how to grind the pepper and the reins were passed to me. The tomato were added, smashed and then gently stirred in, along with cilantro, lime juice, and a generous sprinkle of salt. How simple this was, I thought, and, yet, I had never thought to make salsa this way.

The eggs were prepared on top of crispy corn tortilla (which Mayra had made fresh the night before). I assisted in basting each one with hot oil (I was mostly successful in not splashing the oil all over the stove and my arms). The culinary lesson was a generous one and a highlight from our trip to Mexico.

Huevos Rancheros

Yield 4 servings

Ingredients
1 ½ lbs (6-8) plum tomatoes
1 medium jalapeno, stem removed
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
Salt
Juice from ½ a lime
¼ cup olive oil
8 corn tortilla
8 eggs
Crumbled goat cheese, optional

Directions
Set a stovetop-safe baking pan or griddle over high heat. Cook tomatoes and jalapeno, turning occasionally, until charred on each side and the skin is blistered; approximately 10 minutes.

In a bowl, smash the jalapeno and garlic with a spoon until thoroughly combined. Add tomatoes and, using a pastry cutter, smash until blended. Stir in cilantro and lime juice and season with salt, to taste.

Set a medium-sized sauté pan over high heat. Add oil and heat for 2 minutes. Carefully place a corn tortilla into the hot oil. It will begin to crisp and bubble. After 10 seconds, crack the egg directly over the corn tortilla. Making sure not to splash the oil too much (be very careful not to get any on you), baste the egg with the hot oil using a spatula or spoon.

Cook until the whites have just set. Season with salt and transfer the tortilla and egg to a plate. Repeat with remaining eggs. Once they’re done, serve them with salsa on top and a sprinkle of goat cheese and cilantro.

Clementine, Avocado + Crispy Carrot Salad

It's good to be back in the kitchen. Ten days is the longest I've gone without cooking a meal. Not that I'm complaining about the food we had while we were away. It was some of the best seafood I've ever consumed (we ate ALL the poke and sushi we could get our hands on) and we drank enough Mai tais to keep a steady buzz going for the majority of the trip. But I missed holding a knife. I missed peeling and chopping and sautéing.

As soon as we got back, I was immediately thrust back into work. It wasn't until yesterday that I had some free time to prepare recipes I've been developing over the last few weeks (some of which were inspired by our travels).

While I know a chunk of the country has gotten slammed with snow, it's been unseasonably warm here in Boston. For those who don't remember, this is exactly what happened last year. Warmth and sunshine and blue skies for all of December. We all said, "Where's this snow everyone's been saying we'd get nailed with?" and we laughed and thought we were having the mildest winter ever. And then February came. And the snow never ended. And we cried.

Oh gosh, why did I even bring that up? Let's try to enjoy the good weather we're having and spend as much time we can outside. Let's eat citrus salad and drink bottles of crisp white wine. Cold, dark days are ahead of us... so let's just soak this all in.

Clementine, Avocado and Crispy Carrot Salad

Yield
Serves 2

Tools
Mandoline

Ingredients
2 clementine, peeled
1 large carrot, washed well
Olive oil
1 avocado, pit removed and flesh sliced lengthwise
5-6 parsley leaves
Salt
Black pepper

Directions
1. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the clementine into 1/4 inch slices.

2. Using a mandoline, slice the carrot to create very thin rounds. Then, heat a small skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and set over high heat. Working in batches, add the sliced carrot in batches and cook for 2-3 minutes, flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until it gets crispy, but not burnt (a little darkness around the edges is fine). Transfer chips to a plate lined with paper towels.

3. Transfer the sliced clementine to the plate. Top with avocado, carrot chips, and fresh parsley. Season with coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.