Roasted Ginger Carrots

Carrots, cut into sticks OR Baby Carrots
Crystallized Ginger OR Ginger in Sugar Syrup
Butter OR Oil
Honey OR other liquid sweetener (1 tsp or more)

Preheat your oven to 400F. Toss your carrots with oil and put in a single layer in a roasting pan. If you’re using butter, add the pats to the pan and toss the carrots after the butter has melted. Roast for about seven minutes, then add the crystallized ginger. Roast until the carrots are tender with delicious crispy bits, taking care not to let the ginger burn (stir occasionally). After removing the pan from the oven, add the honey and toss the carrots and ginger to coat.

Moroccan Carrot Salad

Carrots (pre-grated bought OR 6 medium OR 1 lb bag baby carrots)
Garlic (powder to taste OR 1 pressed clove)
Cumin
Honey
Salt
Turmeric
Cinnamon
Cayenne Pepper
Lemon Juice OR Orange Juice
Orange Segments OR Mango Pieces
Olive Oil
Greek Yogurt (optional)

If you have bought pre-grated carrots, cook them. I just zap them in the microwave, but they could also be boiled. If you have a good food processor with a grater attachment, if you have whole carrots, also cook them first and then grate them. I use baby carrots by chopping them in the blender and then zapping them in the microwave. The appearance isn’t as nice, but it’s quick and easy.

Add remaining ingredients and stir. If you like a creamy salad like I do, add a dollop of Greek yogurt. For best flavor, let marinate overnight.

Sweet Chili Tofu

Tofu (Pressed–or your preferred variety) OR Chicken Pieces
Sweet Chili Sauce
Thai Red Curry Paste
Lemongrass paste
Oil

Fry tofu in oil until browned. Mix the sweet chili sauce with the red curry and lemongrass pastes. Combine with tofu. Yummy yummy!

Carrot Apple Ginger Soup

Apple (1 chopped)
Onion (1 medium, chopped)
Carrots (2 cups, chopped)
Celery (1 stalk)
Ginger (powdered or freshly grated, to taste)
Chicken Broth (1 liter)
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Paprika

Saute the onion, carrot and celery in butter until softened in a large pot or dutch oven. Add the chicken broth, apple and ginger. Cook until vegetables are completely tender. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup into the desired consistency. Season with salt, pepper and paprika.

Thai Celeriac Soup

This is a very basic soup that I really enjoy, but if you find it bland, it can also be used as a soup starter for a Thai Chicken and Rice Soup–see alteration at bottom.

Celeriac/Celery Root (1 large, chopped into small cubes)
Onion (1 large, chopped)
Broth (1 liter, Chicken or Vegetable)
Lemongrass Paste
Thai Red Curry Paste (I like Thai Kitchen brand)
Butter
Paprika
Salt

Saute the onion and celeriac in butter in a large pot or dutch oven until softened. Add broth and cook until completely tender. Take off the heat and use an immersion blender to blend to the desired consistency. Make sure no fibrous chunks of the celeriac remain. Season to taste with lemongrass paste, red curry paste, paprika and salt.

THAI CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP

Thai Celeriac Soup Starter
Cooked Rice
Red Pepper
Green Onion
Cooked or Canned Chicken Bits (or Tofu!)

Combine and cook until pepper is tender and soup is hot. Serve!

Yummy Yummy Couscous

Pinenuts
Israeli Couscous (large grain)
Onions or Shallots, diced
Chicken Broth
Salt
Pepper
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Lemon Juice
Parsley
Raisins
Cranberries, dried
Optional:
Corn, frozen
Chicken, slivered

Toast the pinenuts in some oil. Take out the pinenuts and keep the oil in the pan. Add couscous and onions and toast until some of the couscous turns golden brown. Add broth, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook until the couscous is done. Add corn and chicken bits near the end of cooking if you want those (or anything else you might come up with–black beans, chickpeas, maybe?). When its completely done, add pinenuts, lemon juice, parsley, raisins and cranberries (if you add the raisins any sooner they get kind of soggy and gross… unless your raisins are particularly dried out).

Inspired by: TJ Israeli Couscous Recipe

Apple Cranberry Fruit Compote

Apples, peeled, diced
Cranberries, frozen, sliced, seeded
Lemon Juice
Sugar (approx. 4 tbsps)
Water (at least 1/3 cup)
Cornstarch
Cinnamon
Nutmeg

Place the apples in a pot with lemon juice and cook until tender on medium heat. Set aside. Place cranberries and sugar in pot on medium-low heat and cook until sugar is dissolved. Add water (add more if you want the compote to be more syrupy). Mix up some cornstarch and cold water and add it to the pot. Heat until cornstarch thickens. Add cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. Final result will look prettier if you add red food colouring, but it’s tasty either way!

Inspired by: Hungryman

Carrot Raisin Salad

Carrots, peeled, grated
Raisins
Cranberries, dried
Mayonnaise
Yogurt
Vinegar
Lemon Juice

Add it all together and mix it up!