Carrot Salad w/ Chickpeas, Dates & Dukkah

Hello.

This gorgeous salad was a happy accident.

I love the challenge of not having gone to the grocery store in a week.....making a meal from things you have either in your fridge, freezer or cupboard.

This was the case.

4 carrots in the crisper drawer (they happen to be heirloom rainbow ones!) waiting to die......a can of chickpeas and some leftover delicious dukkah (my new obsession) in the cabinet leftover from a month ago.......and I always have dates and nuts.

This is healthy, tasty to eat, and a pretty to look at salad.

I was very pleased with myself after making this lovely lunch. :)

Carrot Salad w/ Chickpeas, Dates & Dukkah:

for the dukkah:

1/2 cup hazelnuts (skins on)
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds (I omitted)
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon white peppercorns
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground paprika (I used smoked paprika, pimenton)
1/2 tablespoon sea salt flakes

In a dry skillet, toast the hazelnuts (watch them, they only take a minute, they burn easily). Remove the nuts from the pan and crush in a mortar and pestle.

In the same dry skillet, toast the sesame seeds, only 30 seconds, they will turn golden right away in the hot pan. Set the seeds aside.

To the mortar, add in the whole spices (it's ok if you use already ground spices) and crush.

Add the crushed nuts and spices, whole toasted seeds and salt to a bowl. That is your dukkah!
Can be made days ahead and stored in a sealed container in your cupboard.

for the Carrot Salad:

Dressing:
1 tsp cumin
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes (optional)

whisk dressing ingredients together with a fork and set aside.

4 large fresh carrots, sliced paper thin on a mandolin (I used yellow, red and orange carrots)
15oz. can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
8 large Medjool dates, chopped
handful of fresh cilantro
1/3 cup of chopped pistachios
handful of fresh rose petals for garnish (optional, but makes it pretty)

Slice the carrots into a bowl with a mandolin, and add in the rinsed chickpeas and dates.

Pour dressing over the salad, and season with sea salt & pepper.

Top with the chopped nuts, dukkah and cilantro.

Garnish with rose petals and serve.

It stays nice and crunchy for a day or two in the fridge, so can be made ahead and brought to room temperature before serving.