I can’t concentrate for my life right now. I have a strong love-hate relationship with working in coffee shops. Love having a change of scene. Love getting a 5 shot iced americano that I didn’t have to make. Love the atmosphere (most of the time). Hate people. Hate people having loud conversations so that others will listen in. Hate people looking over my shoulder. Hate people trying to start a conversation with me. Hate, hate, hate, people trying to start a conversation with me while my head phones are in. Really?!?!?!

And because of this, I can’t concentrate for long enough to get a story down today. I blame iPad guy sitting next to me.

This is an incredibly easy side dish to any meal. Roasting brings out the natural sugars from the carrots to make them slightly sweet. I seasoned the carrots the way my mom does for her Moroccan carrot side dish; garlic, paprika, cumin, and a good amount of olive oil. To cool the dish a bit from all the spices, I made a herby yogurt sauce that gets drizzled on top, then seasoned it with sumac. Sumac gives it a bit of tang. If you can’t find it, just omit it. That dukkah though… It’s becoming a thing. Everyone makes theirs differently. I normally just check to see what nuts and seeds I have in the pantry and work from there. Traditionally it’s made with hazelnuts and is easy to make, keeps well, and can be sprinkled over things like dips, salads, chicken, and in this case, vegetables. The nice thing about this dish, is that it can be served hot or at room temperature. Great make ahead side for parties.

Roasted Moroccan Carrots

with Herb Yogurt Sauce & Dukkah

makes 6-8 servings

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For the carrots:

8 large carrots, scrubbed clean

4 Tb olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp hot paprika

1/2 tsp salt

For the dukkah:

1/3 cup slivered almonds

2 Tb sunflower seeds

1 tsp sesame seeds

1/2 tsp black sesame seeds

1/2 tsp rainbow peppercorns

1/4 tsp fennel seeds

3/4 tsp Maldon salt

For the yogurt sauce:

1/3 cup plain greek yogurt

1 Tb lemon juice

2 tsp finely chopped mint

1 1/2 tsp finely chopped dill

1/4 tsp salt

4-5 tsp water

Sumac, garnish, optional

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For the carrots:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400˚ F

2. Place carrots, olive oil, garlic, spices, and salt in a roasting pan and toss until the carrots are coated well.

3. Roast for 45 minutes until soft in the middle and caramelized on the outside. Turn carrots halfway through roasting time.

For the dukkah:

1. Toast almonds on a sheet pan for 3-4 minutes. You can do this in the oven while the carrots are roasting. Keep an eye on them so that they don’t burn.

2. In a small pan over medium heat, toast the sunflower seeds for 1-2 minutes and set aside.

3. In that same pan over medium heat, toast the fennel seeds and peppercorns for about 30-45 seconds until fragrant. Set aside.

4. Do the same with the sesame seeds for 45 seconds. Set aside.

5. Using a pestle and mortar, first crush the fennel seeds and peppercorns. Add the almonds and crush into small pieces. Then add the sunflower seeds and crush again. Lastly mix in the salt and sesame seeds. This can be made ahead and stored in an air-tight container for up to 3 weeks.

For the yogurt sauce:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. The sauce should be runny but not too watery. Add more water if too thick or more yogurt if too thin. Taste for seasoning.

Assembly:

You can keep the carrots in the roasting dish for a rustic look, or plate them on a serving dish. Drizzle the yogurt sauce over top, sprinkle with sumac (optional), and garnish with a good amount of dukkah. You can serve the extra yogurt sauce on the side.

Enjoy!

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