Roasted Carrots with Spiced Yogurt + Detox Week 2

Week two of this #SpringCleaning detox has been interesting. I’ve been a bit lax, choosing to live a little over fastidiously following every rule to a T. So, this week I had: 1 slice of pizza, 2 alcoholic beverages, 1 ounce of super dark chocolate, 1 post-run bottle of Nesquik, gluten, in the form of salad croutons and whole-wheat orzo and 1 collard green-wrapped burger with blue cheese on top. Not ideal, but not the worst cheating in the world.

I’m of two minds with this whole detox thing. Part of me feels like it’s a good thing that I’m doing, that eating well is an admirable goal, and “two steps forward, one step back” is still movement in the right direction. But I don’t feel any better. My skin is somehow worse than when I started, I still feel sluggish and a bit brain-foggy at times, my digestive system isn’t magically healed. Maybe the cheats are derailing me more than I think, but can 2 drinks really be enough to undo a week’s work?

BUT (I suppose “two minds” is actually three or four) am I just doing this for the visible results? Or is the “greater good” the ultimate goal, and can that really be measured? Is it stupid that I count out all of my weekly “transgressions” or that I can’t have a piece of chocolate when I want one? I don’t know, and I’ve spend way too much time blathering on about it (both to you on the Internet and to everyone else in person). Not ideal.

So let’s forget about all that frustrating detox stuff, and let’s focus on how gorgeous these roasted carrots are. I can’t even focus on writing right now, because they’re just so beautiful. They’re colorful and vibrant and bright. They’re almost too stunning to eat, except that they’re also delicious. Gently spiced as a balance to the sweet carrots, crunchy and crispy, with a lemon juice and paprika-spiked yogurt dressing that almost makes detoxing seem okay. And given the first two paragraphs of this post, you know that means these are some magical roasted carrots.

More detox-related posts:
Detox Day 1: Some New Beginnings
Detox Week 1 Recap (and a bomb parsley vinaigrette recipe!)

Roasted Carrots with Spiced Yogurt

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Ingredients

• 2 bunches carrots, trimmed and scrubbed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon harissa
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, divided
• 1 tablespoon cumin, divided
• 1 teaspoon cayenne, divided
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and patted very dry
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon water
• juice of half a lemon
• chopped fresh mint, to garnish

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Line two baking sheets with tin foil.
2. In a small bowl, combine half of the olive oil and harissa. Toss the mixture with the carrots, then spread them out on one of the baking sheets. Roast for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through. Transfer to a serving platter.
3. In a large bowl, combine the remaining olive oil with 1/2 tablespoon each of the paprika, cumin and cayenne, as well as the salt and pepper. Toss the chickpeas in the spice mixture, then spread them out on the second baking sheet. Roast the chickpeas for 45 minutes, tossing them halfway, until they are completely crisp.
4. While the chickpeas are roasting, combine the yogurt with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of paprika, cumin and cayenne. Add the water and lemon, stirring until the yogurt has thinned out. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside.
5. When the chickpeas are crisped, scatter them atop the roasted carrots. Drizzle with the spiced yogurt, then top with the chopped mint. Serve warm or room temperature.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 2