Carrot Orange Salad

The guest blogger for today is Dana at Dana Treat. Hop on over to her blog to find some wonderful vegetarian dishes packed with flavor, as well as beautiful photography and heartfelt conversations. And don't forget to check out the recipe below. My mouth is watering!

Thank you Dana!
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It is such a treat for me to post on Eralda's wonderful blog. I love her no-nonsense style and her delicious looking food. I also have loved seeing photos of her home country - what amazing beauty there is on display in Albania. I can relate to Eralda on so many levels, not the least of which is that she is a the mom of a boy. Having two of my own, I know much of what she is going through.

On my own blog, I like to think I offer lots of variety in the food I talk about. As a vegetarian who really loves food, I need variety when I eat. When I say that I mean variety in my diet in general and also within a meal. If I am going to make dinner (which I don't do every night), there are going to be at least two components to it. If I make pasta, I almost always make a side vegetable or a salad or both. I'm not necessarily talking fancy here, just different tastes and textures within a meal.

I do love to eat salad but when making a meal with more international flavors, lettuce just doesn't seem right. That is where this simple and delicious salad comes in. I use it when I make dishes with strong and especially savory flavors. It works well with Indian, North African, Middle Eastern, and even Asian foods. It's also lovely when you just want a few bites of something light to go alongside a heavy or rich meal. The fact that it is quick, easy, and scales up well makes it just about perfect.



Carrot Orange Salad
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites
Serves 4

3 large carrots, peeled and grated
2 navel oranges
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Place the grated carrots in a bowl large enough to hold the completed salad and set it aside.

Slice off the ends of the oranges, place each one, cut side down, on the working surface, and slice down the curved sides with broad strokes all the way around,positioning the knife just deep enough to remove the peel and all of the white pith. Holding each peeled orange over the serving bowl, slip a paring knife between the membrane and one of the sides of each orange section, cut in toward the center of the orange, and then cut back out the other side with a motion resembling a "v". ( DT: This process is called supremeing an orange and I always do the whole process with a small tomato knife.) The orange section will fall into the bowl. Repeat this process around the entire orange and then squeeze the juice from the membrane into the bowl. Combine the lemon juice, honey, and cinnamon in a small bowl and pour over the carrot-orange mixture. Before serving, allow the salad to sit for at least 10 minutes so the flavors will mingle.