Spicy sunflower salad with carrot dressing

Last Saturday, I had a few friends over for dinner. We decided to make it an “appetizers and desserts” dinner, since those are my favourite parts of any meal.  This also meant that we each got to try more recipes and sample more delicious goodies. So readers expect to see some salads, snacks and treats posts sprinkled over the next few weeks.

I’ll start with one of the healthier items, which Renee brought. This was super tasty and so brightly-coloured that you felt virtuous just eating it (which made it easier to eat the chocolate cupcakes she brought too).

Spicy Sunflower Salad with Carrot Dressing

(Click through the link for even more beautiful photos!)

Dressing:

• 1 pt. fresh carrot juice
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha (Asian chili sauce) or 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• 1 teaspoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Salad:

• 1/2 cup  sunflower seeds
• 1/2 large orange or yellow bell pepper
• 6 ounces sunflower sprouts (1 1/2 qts. lightly packed) or 5 oz. mixed baby lettuces (2 qts.)
• 1 1/2 cups lightly packed pea shoots or micro greens
• 1 1/2 cups lightly packed mild or spicy sprouts such as clover or radish
• 1/3 cup long, fine shreds of carrot, preferably shredded with a mandoline (I used a potato peeler!)

1. Make dressing: In a wide, 3- to 4-qt. saucepan, boil carrot juice over medium-high heat, stirring often, until reduced to 1/4 cup, 12 to 15 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and let cool. Whisk in remaining dressing ingredients.

2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. Toast sunflower seeds in a shallow pan until light golden, shaking pan occasionally, 4 to 8 minutes. Let cool.

3. Trim off membrane and curved ends of bell pepper. Cut pepper lengthwise into very thin slices.

4. In a large bowl, use your hands to toss and separate all vegetables until evenly mixed. Pour seeds and dressing on top; mix gently. Season with salt to taste.

Renee’s notes: I used arugula and pea shoots in lieu of her ‘sprout party’.  Also, I’ve made this twice, and despite boiling the carrot juice a long time, I can never get it down to a ¼ cup.