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.

Roasted Salmon Burrito Bowl + Cookbook Giveaway

Over a month has gone by since my last blog post. In nine years, I can't recall another instance where this much time has elapsed between entries. When I saw my calendar filling up with projects, I quickly resigned to the fact that the blog would be moved to the back burner for a bit. In some ways, it was refreshing to take a step away from it; when something has such a strong presence in your life, a break can be healthy. But I missed this space; it remains a creative outlet that I relish, and it feels good to be here. 

I have Jessica to thank for this resurgence. The other week, I received a copy of her second cookbook, The Pretty Dish: More Than 150 Everyday Recipes & 50 Beauty DIYs to Nourish Your Body Inside and Out. When it arrived, I quickly glanced through the photos (all of which are lovely) and set it aside. I'd dig into it when I had a free moment, which didn't occur until a few days ago. I sat down with my morning cup of coffee and flipped through the pages, searching for a recipe to dig into (there were a lot of excellent candidates). I found the colors and flavors of her carnitas burrito bowl striking, and I realized simply swapping in roasted salmon would make it pescatarian. 

Now, I have the honor of hosting a giveaway of The Pretty Dish!  One lucky winner will get a copy of Jessica's book!

Giveaway Details: 
To enter, leave a comment on this post. Eligible to US residents only (sorry international friends)! Giveaway ends at 12PM EST on Friday, April 6, 2018. The winner will be contacted via e-mail. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, another name will be drawn. (Note: Be sure to fill out the e-mail field in the comment form) 

ROASTED SALMON BURRITO BOWL

Source: Adapted from Jessica Merchant's The Pretty Dish

Notes: To make Jessica's recipe pescatarian, I swapped out the carnitas she included for spice roasted salmon fillets. All the other components came from her book. 

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
For the salmon
4 skin-on salmon fillets, 6 ounces each
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Zest of 1 organic lime
Olive oil

For the pickled onions
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt

For the corn salsa
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
1/2 red onion, diced
1 jalapeno chile pepper, diced
Juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

For the pico de gallo
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, diced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and ground black pepper

The Basic Bowl Setup
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 avocados, thinly sliced
A few spoonfuls pickled onions
3 tablespoons cotija cheese

Additional toppings (optional)
Sliced scallions
Chopped fresh cilantro
Lime wedges

Directions
To make the roasted salmon
Preheat the oven to 485 degrees F. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Lightly grease the pan with olive oil or cooking spray. In a bowl, combine all the spices, lime zest, salt and black pepper and whisk together. Place salmon fillets, skin-side down, on the prepared baking pan. Cover the flesh of the fillets with the spice mix. Transfer to oven and cook for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let salmon rest on the pan for another 10 minutes before serving. 

To make the pickled onions
Place the onions in a jar or cup. In a bowl, whisk together the water, vinegar, sugar and salt until the sugar and salt dissolve. Pour over the sliced onions. Let sit at room temperature for an hour. You can make this ahead of time and once made, store it in the fridge in a sealed container or jar.

To make the corn salsa
In a bowl, combine the corn, onion, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, cilantro. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Mix well. 

To make the pico de gallo
In a bowl, mix together the tomatoes, onion, cilantro and lime juiced, stirring well. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Grilled Tomatillo Salsa (Video)

The docks were put away this weekend and we've started talking about closing up the Cape house. I'm trying not to think about it too much. As much as I love fall, I'm not ready for summer to be over. So, I'll just continue grilling and mixing gin and tonics and wearing shorts and flip-flops until the very end. 

Salsa fresca used to be one of my favorite warm-weather treats until I started making salsa verde. Tomatillo and jalapeño are grilled and then blended with garlic, cilantro and lime juice. It's a little tart and sweet and spicy. You can dunk tortilla chips in or spoon it over fish tacos or scrambled eggs or serve it with some rice and beans and grilled peppers. Point being: you can put it on just about anything. 

Grilled Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients
1 lb tomatillo, husks removed
1 jalapeño
1/8 cup cilantro leaves
1 garlic clove
Salt
Juice of 1/2 lime.
Olive oil

Directions
Place the tomatillo and jalapeño in a mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat. 

Preheat grill on high for 5 minutes. Place tomatillo and jalapeño on grill and cook, turning occasionally, until charred on each side and the tomatillo gets softer (but not totally mushy). Remove from heat.

Transfer tomatillo and jalapeño to the bowl of a blender. Add cilantro, garlic clove, lime juice, and salt. Pulse until completely blended.

Pour into a bowl and serve with tortilla chips.