So how about a salad with crunch, lots of vitamin A, and that's easy to make and keep? Carrot and pistachio salad is easy to prepare using a food processor, and it gets better in the refrigerator, meaning that it's a nice make-ahead option. The carrot salad is great served atop mixed greens, or you can serve it on it's own. It's creamy, sweet, nutty, and has a little kick from lime juice. I like to sprinkle on a few dried cranberries before serving it, but they aren't necessary.
Carrot and Pistachio Salad -- Serves 4
8 ounces of carrots (half a 1-pound bag), washed well and trimmed
1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup of lime juice
1-2 tablespoons of honey
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of lemon-pepper
1/4 cup of plain, fat-free yogurt
1/4 - 1/2 cup of roasted, shelled pistachio nuts
Lettuce or other greens (optional)
2-4 tablespoons of dried cranberries (optional)
Grind the carrots in a food processor, using the S-blade. You want the carrots to be ground coarsely. Place the ground carrots in a large bowl and add the olive oil, lime juice, honey, yogurt, cinnamon, lemon-pepper, and pistachio nuts and mix everything well. Refrigerate the carrot salad until serving time. When you're ready to serve the salad, place portions on lettuce or other greens and sprinkle on some dried cranberries, if you'd like.
