Ooh, nelly, do y’all think I got my beta-carotene tonight?! This carrot-raisin salad

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Ooh, nelly, do y’all think I got my beta-carotene tonight?!

This carrot-raisin salad is so good, and SO easy. If y’all like Middle Eastern food, look into Claudia Roden’s book, The New Book of Middle Eastern Food. She is a prolific cookbook author -I’m sure they’re all good- and we use this one regularly. In it she provides recipes that hail from one country or area but then also offers ways to alter it based on another country or tradition’s preparation. It’s interesting to see which spices, cooking methods and such are particular to which regions. I’ll post the recipe in a sec.

The sweet potatoes are simply roasted with honey, EVOO, s & p, and on the fish is a peach-ginger salsa that was lovely. I’m very much enjoying another bottle of the Qupé Chard-Viognier and a quiet night reading. Just read some very depressing news so now am off to Bossypants!

Upcoming dinner ideas

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I’ve been inspired for my dinner plans the next two nights, solo this evening but I believe a deux tomorrow (T?). I have some gorgeous peaches left over from the canning marathon, so I’m going to make a fresh peach salsa to put atop grilled King salmon. I’m also really having a yen for Claudia Roden’s carrot salad with raisins, ginger, honey and lemon, so am going to make that for a side. It saves beautifully so will be delish tomorrow at lunch!

Tomorrow evening, I am thinking about this chicken with wine and figs recipe I just came across as well as a delightful fig and goat cheese side (more of an hors d’ that I’m going to serve alongside the chicken) that my dear friend, SJ, discovered in Turkey recently. Mmmm…