Shaved Carrot, Raisin & Hazelnut Salad

You know, it's 2013, I'm getting bored of lettuce. I  like it when restaurants make an effort to be creative with salads, but you know what I don't like?  Wedge salads.  That's not being creative, that's just being lazy.  Excuse me, I'm not paying extra to cut up my own lettuce.  I want my lettuce shredded and tossed with the dressing.  I don't want you to just give me a chunk of lettuce, pour some dressing on top, and serve it to me at a price that's more expensive than if it wasn't shredded.  Nuh uh, it doesn't make any economic sense. 



Look at this.  Pure laziness

Then there are the salads that defeat their own purpose.  Salads are still meant to be light and healthy - don't give me 5 slices of fried bacon and some loose leaves and drown it in a cheesy dressing.  No, I might as well be ordering myself a burger. 

So here's a good salad as a side.  It's healthy, delicious and different.  It's a bit of a pain shaving the carrots into ribbons, I'll give you that.  It does take a good...amount of time.  But it's nice, I promise :)


Serves 4 as a side
Ingredients
1kg carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup hazelnuts
Olive oil

Method
Preheat oven to 180C.  Put the hazelnuts on a single layer on a baking tray and put it in the oven for about 5-10 minutes. Keep checking just to make sure they don't burn.  When they're done, put them on a dishtowel, fold it over, and rub them with your hands -- the skins should come right off.  And if they don't, it's not the end of the world.  Roughly chop them up.

Wash the carrots, and using a vegetable peeler, shave them into ribbons. 

Heat up some olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat and add the carrots. You may need to do this in batches.  Toss and fry for about 30 seconds until they're barely wilted and still retain a crunch. 

Toss together the carrots, hazelnuts, raisins and some salt and more olive oil.