BABY CARROTS WITH ZAATAR

With the Christmas holidays it’s always best to have a vegetable based alternative for your guests who do not eat meat or fish! The recipe I am sharing with you today, baby carrots with zaatar, is perfect for any period of the year though. It’s delicious, easy and quick to prepare. You can enjoy them as a main dish or side dish. This time, I decided to serve them with a Greek yoghurt and zaatar dip.

Do you know what this is? It’s a spice mixture from the Middle East. Because it has not been easy to find here, I decided to buy the ingredients and prepare it myself: sesame seeds, Kosher salt, cumin, sumac, thyme and coriander seeds. Some recipes also add chili flakes, but I substitute the Kosher salt for regular salt, and chili flakes for chili pepper flakes I had at home.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and if you prepare it, don’t hesitate in tagging me on Instragram so I can see it!

INGREDIENTS

375 gr baby carrots

140 gr (½ cup) Greek yoghurt

2 tbsp zaatar

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Two pinches of salt

Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Optional: chopped coriander and edible shamrocks.

Zaatar

For the zaatar

1 tsp. of: sesame seeds, sumac cumin, thyme and coriander seeds.

½ tsp Kosher salt

Optional: one tsp chili flakes

> Mix well and keep in a jar

METHOD

Place the baby carrots in a mould and dress with olive oil. Roast them for 20-25 min to 180ºC (3501F) if you like it crunchy or leave them in the oven longer if you like it more cooked.

Meanwhile, prepare the dip. In a bowl mix well the Greek yoghurt, salt, fresh lemon juice, and zaatar. Add it to the baby carrots and serve with a bit of chopped coriander and/or edible flowers if you wish (I used edible shamrock).

Buon appetito!

More garnish ideas here.