And now for something different

I love this interesting salad. I'll eat a bowl of it for lunch, or it can be served as a side dish like I'm doing tonight. The ingredients are simple enough and you've probably got all of them in your pantry already. It's got a nice little kick, too, which is exciting. I love things that taste exciting. If you're looking for something a little different to take as a sidedish to next weekend's barbecue, why not try this little number? Best of all, it's so simple that even I can make it.

I found it in one of my favorite little books, "The Skinny: How to fit in your little black dress forever" written by Melissa Clark & Robin Aronson. The only thing I changed was adding more cilantro. I adore cilantro. Don't tell anyone, but sometimes in the grocery store, I stop by the cilantro and just take a little sniff. It's such a happy scent.

Here's what you'll need to make this quick dish. We've got shredded carrots, cilantro, roasted cashews (they're camera shy), extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, coriander and a little salt & peppa. I use organic carrots; I think they taste sweeter.

The recipe calls for harissa, which is a thick, pungent Moroccan hot sauce that's sold in tubes in gourmet specialty shops. I don't have harissa, so I'm using Tabasco sauce. You can also substitute roasted peanuts for the cashews.

Moroccan Carrot Salad with Coriander and Cashews

1 pound carrots, peeled

1/2 cup roasted cashews, roughly chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp. harissa, plus additional, to taste, or Tabasco sauce, to taste

1/4 tsp. ground coriander

Coarse sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Shred the carrots using a box grater or a food processor fitted with the grating attqchment. Transver to a bowl and add the cashews and cilantro.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon jucie, harissa, and ground coriander. Pour the mixture over the carrots and toss to combine, seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve.

Hope you like it!