Spicy Carrot Salad: An Old Standby

This recipe is a variant of a Moroccan dish. It has become one of my go-to appetizers, especially when I'm taking it to a party. It can be made ahead, and is easy to transport. The original uses sliced carrots, but I shred them and then make individual portions by using Belgian Endive as the plate - edible and convenient. I also like to add this and that for color and a bit of interesting flavor.

Ingredients:

1lb carrots
1 cup chicken stock
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced or made into paste
1 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp hot smoked paprika

Belgian Endive 2 or 3 large heads

Peel the carrots and simmer in the stock for about 10 minutes until tender, but not mushy. Drop them in an ice bath to cool down. Shred using a box grater or food processor. Put the carrots in a bowl with the remaining ingredients except the endive. Toss to combine. Spoon a tablespoon or so onto a leaf of the endive.

I frequently add different accent ingredients to the dish just for a change of pace. In the photo above I added about 1 1/2 tbsp of dried cranberries and the same amount of diced jicama. Other additions to consider would be pickled onions, raisins, parsley or chives, diced cucumber...really the options are wide open.