(Sometimes) I like to spice up my food without creating an overwhelming heat. Harissa is one of my favourite spices to give this extra touch to plain food.

Together with the honey it still maintains the sweet flavour of the carrots, the mint leaves for that freshness and who doesn’t love feta cheese for some tanginess. This is a great side-dish if you’d like something different for a change.

How much I love this with some lamb (sausages) meat and couscous!

HARISSA CARROTS. – serves 2
1 bunch of carrots (15-20 small carrots)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Harissa (paste, I use powder that I make to a paste)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
salt & pepper, to taste
garnish: crumbled feta cheese and fresh mint

Pre-heat oven to 200C degrees (convection oven – fan) and start with rinsing your carrots well, peel them if you’d like, but don’t discard the top because it looks great when plating them up later on. Do chop off the long string at the end!

Lay a baking sheet on top of a baking trey and mix in a separate bowl the olive oil, Harissa, smoked paprika, ground cumin, lemon juice and honey. Season the mixture with some salt and pepper to taste. Toss the carrots with the mixture on the baking sheet and spread them in an even layer.

Put in the oven for 20-30min depending on your oven. Prick a fork in a few carrots to test on tenderness once you take them out. The ends may blacken a little, and if this goes to quick you can lower the heat and continue baking for the remaining time.

Once tender and ready to be plated up, crumble some feta cheese and fresh mint on top and serve warm.

Note: don’t discard the green tops as they have a parsley-like flavour and you can use later for flavouring other dishes or decorating your food.

Enjoy! xoSam