Grilled Mediterranean Carrots

Ingredients

Carrots – The star of the show! I used regular carrots and grilled them directly on the grills. However, you can use baby carrots and cook them in a grilling basket as well.

Plain Greek Yogurt – This makes up the base of the sauce. I prefer non fat versus full fat because I prefer a thinner consistency, however, if you only have full fat, you can thin the sauce out with water.

Tahini – This provides a delicious nutty flavor that compliments the carrots wonderfully

Lemon Juice – The acidity in the lemon juice cuts through the fats of the greek yogurt and tahini and rounds out the flavor wonderfully. It also helps thin the sauce.

Za’atar – This spice blend is a mixture of dried herbs and sesame seeds. It has a slight nutty flavor that is delicious with the tahini

Golden Raisins – The raisins offer a touch of sweetness that tastes delicious with the za’atar. You can substitute in regular raisins.

Mint – This herb offers a pop of freshness to an otherwise creamy dish. You can use any herb you have on hand. Fresh oregano or dill would be wonderful as well.

Olive Oil – Use 2 tablespoons of oil to brush your carrots before grilling and use the remaining tablespoon in the yogurt sauce.

Salt – Salt is a flavor enhancer and has a rightful place in every dish. These carrots are no exception. I used 1 tsp, ½ tsp was used to season the carrots before grilling, and the other half was used in the yogurt sauce. This however, is just a guideline. You can season to taste.

Water – Add water, tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency for the sauce.

Method

Step 1: Preheat your grill to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, clean the carrots. you can do this by scrubbing all the dirt off or by using a Y-peeler to peel off the outer layer. You can also remove the carrot tops at this time, if necessary.

Don’t forget to save your carrot tops and make a delicious – and perhaps more importantly – non wasteful carrot top pesto!

Step 2: Once the carrots are clean, Brush with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt.

Step 3: Grill the carrots. I used carrots I purchased from my local farmers market, which are much smaller than many carrots found in grocery stores. Using my smaller, skinnier carrots, I had no problem getting the outside nice and charred while the insides became tender. If using a thicker carrot, however, you may not have such luck. If using a thicker carrot, I recommend grilling over direct heat for 8 minutes, then transfer to indirect heat for another 10-12 minutes until nice and tender.

If using baby carrots, toss them in a grilling basket and give the basket a good shake every 4 minutes, until nicely charred and tender. Roughly 12 minutes total.

Step 4: Make the sauce while the carrots grill. Combine the greek yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, za’atar, the rest of the olive oil, and water if needed. Give everything a good stir, then set aside. Chop up some extra mint to garnish.

Step 5: Assemble! Line your carrots up and scoop the yogurt sauce right over. Top with golden raisins and fresh mint. Serve and enjoy!