Now that the Easter Bunny has made his appearance, we’re using his favorite snack as one of ours, too! Carrots are roasted with pungent garlic for this easy recipe, along with chickpeas and a condiment called Harissa. That’s where this week’s spice appears, coriander.

Harissa is sometimes called the ketchup of North Africa. Full of peppers and garlic, caraway seeds and coriander seeds, it is medium hot with lots of flavor. If you aren’t a fan of “warm” foods as we are, you can begin the recipe with two tablespoons of harissa, and add more as you taste the hummus.

Coriander seeds add a roasty, nutty citrus flavor to the hot sauce. The seeds are a good source of manganese, iron and magnesium as well. They have eleven components of essential oils, six types of acids (including ascorbic acid, better known as vitamin-C), minerals and vitamins, each having a number of beneficial properties. Using spices in your cooking adds flavor and lots of nutrition as well!

Spicy Carrot Hummus – Coriander

1 – 2 LB Carrots, peeled if desired and chopped coarsely in 1” pieces

4 Garlic Cloves, peeled

¼ Cup plus 1 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided

Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste

1 ½ Cups Veg Broth

1 ½ Cup Cooked Chickpeas OR 1 (15 ½ OZ) Can, rinsed and drained

3 TB Almond Butter OR Tahini

4 TB Harissa Paste

2 TB Lemon Juice

1 TB Honey

Step One

Toss the carrots and garlic together with 1 TB of the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slide into a 400F oven and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the carrots are soft.

Step Two Combine the veg broth, roasted carrots and garlic, cooking liquid and chickpeas in a food processor and puree. Add the olive oil and tahini and puree until smooth.

Step Three Add the harissa, juice and honey and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Puree to combine, adjusting the seasoning as desired.