Spiced Carrot Salad recipe for managing PCOS and pregnancy on Fertility Chef

Lunch: Spiced Carrot Salad

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Health and fertility benefits of Spiced Carrot Salad

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060). Lemons can help to prevent oxidative damage to the body, which women with PCOS are often susceptible to. One tbsp of honey has a glycemic index (GI) of 55.

Ingredients

1 pound carrots with fresh green tops if available
1/3 cup currants
1/2 cup chopped pistachios, toasted
1 tablespoon coriander seed, toasted
2 teaspoons anise seed, toasted
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 cup loosely packed picked fresh dill
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

Trim carrot tops, keeping 1/2-inch of the green tops attached if they are bright green and fresh. Peel and thinly slice the carrots lengthwise. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the carrots for about 1 minute until they are slightly cooked but still a bit crunchy. Shock in an ice bath and drain when cool. Pat dry with paper towels.
Place currants in a medium bowl and pour hot water over to submerge completely. Let soak 10 minutes until plump, drain and discard water.
Place coriander, anise, cinnamon, honey, oil, lemon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender and blend until slightly chunky but seeds are not intact.
To serve, toss carrots, currants, pistachios and dressing together in a large bowl. Be sure to coat the carrots with the dressing. Add herbs and carefully toss to combine. Serve immediately.