Spicy Carrot Ginger Dressing

This Spicy Carrot Ginger Dressing is made with the carrots in escabeche that come in canned pickled jalapeños. Bright and tasty, it’s great on salads. Also good as a dip for crudités, especially little carrots. Just saying.

I don’t know about you, but we always have a Tupperware full of whole jalapeños stashed in the refrigerator. Can't eat a lot of dishes without them. (Looking at you, fried chicken and grilled chicken tacos.) It’s one of those tall guys with a strainer inside so you can lift the jalapeños out of the juice easily. The Tupperware people call it a Pick-A-Deli® Container and it’s great for pickles, olives and, of course, jalapeños. 

When we run out of jalapeños and I have to open a new can, I need to tip a bit of the juice out of the Tupperware to make room for the new stuff. And sometimes, if it’s been a while, I have to take out some of the left-behind carrots and onions too or the whole new can won’t fit. I know some people simply eat these spicy pickled carrots as a snack but we really don’t, so there are always carrots leftover at the end of the jalapeños.

The other day I removed about 4 ounces or 112g of carrots and was looking for something to use them in. You know, not to have a container of pickled carrots just sitting in the fridge. And, no, I could not throw them out! Bite your tongue. My grandfather came of age in the Great Depression so my mother was raised by him and I think frugality came down to me by a genetic disposition. Look it up. It's a thing.  

In my search, I came across lots of recipes for a carrot ginger dressing that is apparently a popular Japanese restaurant thing. Who knew? This dressing is not that but, boy, is it good! I could eat it with a spoon. Plus, now I have a jar of dressing I WILL USE instead of pickled carrots that I will not. 

Spicy Carrot Ginger Dressing

The carrots in escabeche are an essential part of the recipe for canned pickled jalapeños, for flavor, adding a some carrot-y sweetness and helping to balance the spiciness of the peppers. They are not just cheaper filler for the can as I thought before researching this! This dressing recipe is adapted from one by Andrew Zimmern. His is made with cooked carrots, not escabeche ones. Missed a trick, Andrew.

Ingredients

4 oz or 112g carrots in escabeche 

1/3 cup or 80ml olive oil

1/4 cup or 60ml rice vinegar

3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon peeled, grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 shallot, chopped

1-2 teaspoons sugar (to taste, I added just one)

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Method

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender. Blend until completely smooth. 

We like a thicker dressing but you can add a little water to thin it, if you prefer. Serve over your favorite salad! Or use the thicker dressing for dipping faux baby carrots.

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing some of our favorite carrot recipes. Many thanks to our host, Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories. Check out the links below.

• Carrot Cake Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Carrot Pudding from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Carrot Fries from Mildly Indian
• Carrot Roulade from Sneha's Recipe
• Grilled Carrots from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Nomato Soup - a Faux Tomato Soup with Carrots from A Messy Kitchen
• Roasted Carrots with Burrata from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Spicy Carrot Ginger Dressing from Food Lust People Love

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Easy Chicken Kapama

Boneless skinless chicken thighs make this easy kapama chicken with a rich cinnamon scented tomato sauce quick to the table. It’s so very delicious! 

Not that I’ve ever made it before but New York Times Cooking says that the traditional Greek version would be made with a whole chicken, cut into its typical pieces. But, of course, bone-in chicken takes much longer to cook so if you are looking for a weeknight dish, starting with boneless chicken is ideal. 

It's also a great make-ahead dish because it just gets better the next day! We liked it the first night but loved it even more as leftovers. 

Easy Chicken Kapama

This recipe is adapted from one on New York Times Cooking. It calls for ground cinnamon as well as two cinnamon sticks and it needs both for a more authentic Greek flavor. Serve it over buttered egg noodles or orzo.

Ingredients

1 lb 12 oz or 800g boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Ground cayenne

Ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 (15 oz or 425g) can tomato puree

2 cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon sugar

2-3 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves only

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

For garnish:

2 tablespoons fresh herbs, such as Italian parsley and oregano, roughly chopped

For serving:

Buttered egg noodles or orzo

Grated kefalotyri cheese or Parmesan

Crushed red pepper, optional

Method

Season the chicken thighs well on both sides with salt, black pepper, cayenne and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon. Cut them into three or four pieces each.

In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium flame. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, cook the chicken until it is lightly browned on both sides. 

Remove to a plate as you cook each batch. The chicken will not be cooked through at this point but, worry not, it will finish cooking in the sauce. 

Slice the onion and garlic thinly. 

Add them to the skillet and cook until the onion is soft and translucent. 

Stir in the tomato puree, tomato paste and water equal to half of the tomato puree can. This also helps rinse the can so you are sure to use all of the puree. Stir well.

Add in the cinnamon sticks and leave to cook for a few minutes.

Return the chicken to the pan along with any juices that have collected on the plate, stir to coat with the sauce and bring to a simmer. 

Turn heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the flavors meld, stirring occasionally, 20-30 minutes. Add in the fresh oregano leaves, the spoon of sugar and crushed red pepper, if using, stir well. 

Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking, adding more salt and pepper, if necessary.

Serve the chicken over buttered egg noodles or orzo, spooning the tomato sauce on top. Top with the fresh herbs and grated cheese.

Enjoy!

Welcome to the 11th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter K. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the K recipes below:

• Baby Kale Salad with Steak and Citrus Vinaigrette from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Brown Sugar and Ketchup Pork Chops from Blogghetti
• Creamy Kohlrabi Pasta from Mildly Indian
• Easy Chicken Kapama from Food Lust People Love
• Individual No Bake Key Lime Pies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Kabocha Methi Garlic Rolls from Magical Ingredients
• Kachhe Kele Ke Kofte from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Kahlua and Cream: Brown Cow Cocktail from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Kielbasa Pasta Medley (Sicilian Medley) from A Messy Kitchen
• Kondakadalai Sundal / Chickpeas Sundal from Sneha’s Recipe
• Spicy Cheddar Krispies Crackers (Rice Krispies) from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad 

F. Lamb Feta Mint Patties 

G. Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle 

H. Hazelnut Vodka 

I. Italian Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers - this post!

J. Jägersuppe - Hunter's Soup 

K. Easy Chicken Kapama - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

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Watermelon Strawberry Feta Salad

Sweet and savory, fruity and refreshing, this watermelon strawberry feta salad is tossed with honey and balsamic vinegar and fresh mint leaves. Don't forget the black pepper as well! 

Growing up in my home of origin, we always sprinkled salt on watermelon. Is it a Louisiana thing or maybe a southern thing? I don’t know! But I can tell you that the addition of a little salt brings out the innate sweetness of ripe watermelon and even helps the less than perfectly ripe ones taste sweeter somehow. 

Next let’s talk about the strawberries. Not something I grew up with, but there is a contingent of the general population that swears by adding freshly ground black pepper to enhance their strawberriness. Apparently, according to Google, “the piperine in black pepper neutralizes the fruit's natural acidity while elevating its inherent sweetness.” Many claim the same effect from adding a touch of balsamic vinegar.

Take all that together and that’s why I knew that salty feta cheese and aromatic black pepper would be a great addition to a fruit salad made with watermelon and strawberries and dressed with honey and balsamic. 

Watermelon Strawberry Feta Salad

This served two hungry, greedy people but if you have other dishes, it would absolutely stretch to four. That said, it’s also easily doubled AND the weight of ingredients you use is flexible. I give my amounts below as a guideline. This fruity salad is the perfect breakfast, brunch or lunch dish. 

Ingredients

8 oz or 225g strawberries, weight after hulling

10 2/3 oz or 300g watermelon, cut in chunks

Big sprig fresh mint

1 oz or 28g goat or sheep milk feta

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar

Method

After hulling, slice the strawberries in pieces. 

Give them a quick rinse and gentle spin to dry them.

Cut the watermelon into small cubes.

Pick the leaves off of the mint stem and give them a wash and spin. 

Add the watermelon and strawberries to a large bowl. 

Crumble in the feta and add the mint leaves, along with a few generous grinds of black pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and balsamic vinegar. 

Drizzle the mixture over the salad. Toss lightly to combine. 

Serve immediately at room temperature for best flavor but chill if you aren’t ready to serve right away. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes with strawberries in celebration of Pick Strawberries Day which is 20 May. Many thanks to Camilla of Culinary Cam for the theme and to Sneha from Sneha's Recipe for hosting in her stead. Check out the links below. 

• Grilled Chicken Breasts with Strawberry Butter from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Iced Strawberry Basil Hand Pies from A Messy Kitchen
• Strawberry Cheesecake Frozen Yogurt from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Strawberry Neapolitan Cookies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Strawberry Butter from Making Miracles
• Vanilla Cheesecake with Strawberry Curd Topping from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Vegan Strawberry Dream Cake - No Bake from Sneha’s Recipe
• Watermelon Strawberry Feta Salad from Food Lust People Love

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin this Watermelon Strawberry Feta Salad! 

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