pat's Recipe

Roasted Carrot and Avocado Salad with Citrus Dressing

Category: SALADS

1 lb medium carrots
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 chile de arbol
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp thyme leaves
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 orange, halved
1 lemon, halved
4 1/2-inch thick slices of Ciabatta bread
3 Haas avocados, peeled and cut into 6
wedges each
8 ounces assorted greens, such as watercress
baby spinach or mesclun
2 cups baby arugula
2 Tbsp unsalted roasted sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp roasted sesqme seeds
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
3 Tbsp low-fat sour cream mixed with 1 Tbsp
of water

Preheat the oven to 375F. Bring a large, deep skillet of salted water to a boil. Add the carrots, cover and simmer over moderately low heat until crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and transfer the carrots to a large roasting pan.
In a mortar, crush the cumin seeds with the chile de arbol, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add the garlic and thyme and pound to a paste. Stir in 2 Tbsp of the olive oil snd 2 Tbsp of the red wine vinegar.
Pour the cumin dressing over the carrots and toss to coat. Add the orange and lemon halves to the roasting pan, cut side down. Roast for about 25 minutes, until the carrots are tender.
Meanwhile, toast the ciabatta untik the edges are golden brown. Tear the bread into bite-size pieces. In a salad bowl, gently toss the avocados with the watercress, arugula and ciabatta. In a small bowl, combine the sunflower, sesame and poppy seeds. Using tongs, squeeze the hot orange and lemon halves into a measuring cup until you have about 1/3 cup juice. Whisk in the remaining 1 Tbsp of red wine vinegar and 1/3 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the warm carrots to the salad bowl along with the citrus dressing and toss to coat. Transfer the salad to plates and drizzle with the sour cream. Sprinkle the salad with the seed mixture and serve.

6 servings