Spring is in the air! Recently, a friend of mine who moved to the city came to visit me. As I greeted her by the door, she asked: “What smells so good?” I told her she was smelling Spring. She was so surprised. Now that she lives in the city, she doesn’t realize that different seasons come with these subtle changes. When you live in the suburbs, you don’t notice it as much.
When I lived in Florida, I came back north around this time of year for a bridal shower. As I was walking to the celebration, I knew I smelled something wonderful and wondered what it could be. Then it dawned on me; like my friend, I was smelling Spring. When you live in Florida, there are no seasonal changes. At that moment, I realized how much I missed that. Fortunately for me, I got the chance to move back to the northeast and I always look forward to the seasons changing.
Spring is inspiring to me because it is a time of renewal. The trees and flowers are blooming, their colors bursting with the richness of the season. The air is sun-kissed and you can feel the warmth for the first time in so long. The sky becomes the most beautiful shades of blue. The birds come back, caterpillars become butterflies and the children are playing little league once again. Most importantly, there is the promise of summer soon to come!
Yes, bathing suit weather will be upon us before we know it. So, I thought I would start us off with a nice healthy recipe. This is one good, hearty salad. The roasted carrots are rich in flavor and texture. The paprika and cayenne pepper give it a little bit of heat and the red wine vinegar and the cranberries add just enough tang to make your mouth pucker. This salad is packed with flavor and will not leave you feeling hungry. I could not find poppy seeds in the supermarket, so I substituted sunflower seeds. You could add any seed that you enjoy and it will still be amazing.
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This recipe is courtesy of Epicurious and will serve 2-4 people who will be able to taste the changing season.
Ingredients for Roasted Carrot, Brussels Sprouts, and Cranberry Salad
4 medium carrots (about 8 oz.), sliced on a diagonal 1/4″ thick
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divide
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp. poppy seeds
6 oz. Brussels sprouts, leaves separated
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Toss carrots, paprika, cayenne, 1 Tbsp. oil, and 1/2 tsp. salt on a rimmed baking sheet.
Roast until carrots are tender and golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring vinegar and 2 Tbsp. water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat (or microwave in a medium heatproof bowl).
Remove from heat, add cranberries, and let sit 10 minutes.
Strain cranberries through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl; set cranberries aside.
Pour out all but 1 Tbsp. soaking liquid from bowl and whisk in poppy seeds and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil and 1/4 tsp. salt.
Add Brussels sprout leaves, carrots, and reserved cranberries and toss to combine.
It’s that simple!
