Carrot Salad

My friend gave me this recipe from the Barefoot Contessa. I adapted it a bit (as usual!) and love the result. This is a great way to get all that wonderful beta carotene that carrots supply.

Another reason I wanted to make this salad: I have a new toy! A Cuisinart food processor. I've used it several times already and I just love it! I made a TRIPLE recipe of this salad, and I grated more than 3 pounds of carrots less than 2 minutes! That machine is amazing. Watch for more recipes in the future that use food processors! I'm addicted now.



(That's me with a different batch of carrots - used for Southwestern Pot Pie!)

Okay, back to our salad. Cover the craisins with boiling water and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. (The original recipe called for golden raisins. I used craisins because of the season - it's really delicious either way.) Fit your food processor with the grating blade, then peel the carrots.



Remove the tops and ends.



Next cut the carrots in half crosswise.



Now place them in the food tube so they are lying on their sides.



Now for the fun part! Grate the carrots! When you're done, place them in a medium bowl.



Toss the carrots with the lemon juice. (Note the new bowl, my old one wasn't big enough!)



In a large measuring cup, combine the mayo, sour cream,



salt and sugar.



Whisk well to blend. Pour the dressing over the carrots.



Drain the craisins, and add them



along with the fresh pineapple. (You could use canned in a pinch, I suppose. If you need help cutting a fresh pineapple, here's a tip.)



Toss all together and serve immediately. I also sprinkled some sunflower seeds on top of the salad when I served it, which gave it a nice crunch and added a wonderful salty flavor.

Today's tip: If you need to take this to a party or somewhere when it won't be served immediately, I would wait to add the dressing until the last minute. When it sits, it gets quite watery. For best results, serve right after tossing with the dressing.

Eat more vegetables! Find more inspiration at the Ultimate Recipe Swap.

Carrot Salad

1/3 cup craising or golden raisins
1 pound carrots
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup sour cream (light is ok)
1/4 cup mayonnaise (light is ok)
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup fresh diced pineapple

Place the dried fruit in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 5-10minutes, then drain. Fit a food processor with the grating blade. Peel carrots and cut tops and ends off; cut crosswise into halves. Place carrots in the feed tube so they are on their sides. Process in batches. Place the grated carrots in a medium bowl, and toss with the lemon juice.

For the dressing, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, sugar and salt. Pour the dressing over the carros and add the pineapple and raisins. Toss together and serve. Makes 4-5 servings.