Curry Carrot Salad with Icelandic Yogurt

Would it be weird to compare this dish to a Katy Perry song? (Just to be really, really clear it's not Teenage Dream or I Kissed a Girl). This is more of a dish where it's hot and it's cold. And that's really the most amazing part. There's so much contrast in this dish but at the same time it feels so perfectly balanced. While picking pumpkins and making apple pies might be on your fall to-do list, eating more root vegetables like carrots should be at the top of your list. Root veggies and squashes have a surprising amount of sweetness that can be coaxed out by roasting. So while you're roasting basic carrots, they're becoming better and better. The moment you drizzle on the honey and spices, you've just taken them to a dish that's above and beyond good. Warming spices, roasted carrots and a swipe of cool thick yogurt make things interesting while pops of sweet come from golden raisins and just one more touch of freshness is thrown on with mint. 

In terms of health, carrots are going to be your best fiber friends (shocking, I know- I'm giving you another fiber filled recipe). They have more antioxidants than people give them credit for plus a sprinkle of minerals. 

Curry Carrot Salad

serves 2 for a side, 1 for a main dish

/// Ingredients /// 

• 12 small carrots with tops (about 1/2 pound)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• One 3-inch-by-1/2-inch-piece ginger, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 Plain Yogurt (Icelandic is preferred) 
• 1 rounded tablespoon, Golden Raisins 
• Mint 
• Tarragon 
•  lime zest

/// Directions ///  Peel carrots and leave about 1 inch of green left on the top. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add carrots; cook until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain carrots; pat dry with paper towels. Melt butter in a large skillet set over medium-low heat. Add the carrots, honey, and ginger, and cook, turning carrots frequently, until carro ts and ginger are browned, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat, and serve. Add curry and stir for 1 min. Chop mint and tarragon and sprinkle over the top. Zest lime over top. 

This would be perfect with a big hunk of rotisserie chicken or some kind of beef that totally falls apart when you touch it. Or both. Both is also an option.