Moroccan Inspired Carrot Salad

Here in insanely sunny Cleveland the temperature has reached the mid- 80’s for the past week or so. When you are used to 40 degrees in the middle of may, 80 degrees feels like an inferno. Clevelanders immediately freak out about the temperature and all of a sudden everything has to be cold. I too was apprehensive about flipping on the oven in my un-air conditioned apartment since I was certain that I was too hot for normal brain function and perhaps turning on the oven would be too much for my delicate Ohio disposition. Anyway, something that didn’t need to be cooked or baked was by far the best option this past weekend. Here is a super easy Moroccan- inspired carrot salad.

What you need:

3 cups of grated carrots

½ medium red onion diced

2/3 cup golden raisins

¼ cup toasted pine nuts*

Juice of half a lemon

1/3 cup olive oil

3/4 tsp cumin powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 tbs brown sugar

½ cup parsley, chopped

Mix first four ingredients in large bowl.

In separate bowl, whisk together lemon juice and olive oil. Add spices and brown sugar. Whisk until incorporated. Pour over carrot mixture.

Incorporate parsley and refrigerate covered for two hours before serving.

* Pine nuts can be toasted in a small skillet over medium heat until lightly brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes before adding to recipe.