Roasted Carrot, Orange and Avocado Salad

ROASTED CARROT, ORANGE AND AVOCADO SALAD


For the roasted carrots:
1 lb. carrots
1/4 tsp. coriander seeds
1/4 tsp. fennel seeds
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, crushed
Olive oil
Kosher salt

For the salad:
2 - 3 navel oranges
2 avocados
3 sprigs fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime, or to taste
Olive oil
Fleur de sel
Piment d’Espelette

Heat the oven to 400 F.

Peel and cut the carrots into serving size pieces, whatever you prefer, and place them in a bowl.

In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the coriander and fennel seeds until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let the seeds cool, then coarsely crush them with a mortar and pestle.

Add the toasted spices to the carrots, along with the thyme, garlic, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Toss well with your hands. Transfer the carrots to a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned. Set aside.

To assemble the salad, with a sharp knife, peel the oranges down to the flesh, removing all the bitter white pith. Slice the oranges into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits and peels, then cut the flesh lengthwise into thick slices. Remove the cilantro leaves from the stems.

In a medium bowl, combine the carrots, oranges and avocados. Sprinkle with the cilantro, lime juice and olive oil.  Toss gently, then divide between serving plates. Garnish with fleur de sel and piment d'Esplette.

Nutrition information per serving: 340 calories; 200 calories from fat (59 percent of total calories); 22 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 37 g carbohydrate; 13 g fiber; 19 g sugar; 5 g protein; 330 mg sodium.

(Recipe adapted from Greg Marchand’s “Frenchie,” Artisan, 2014)