Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad
This recipe goes to show that more good things can come out of a simple nap than one may imagine!
One cold, gray winter afternoon, nudged by two purring cats and a warm, inviting bed, I decided to put the world on hold, curl up and drift off to sleep. This is to be qualified as a rare indulgence of the unprecedented kind because when it comes to weighing naps versus the never-ending list of to dos, I am inevitably left thinking: “ain’t nobody got time for that”. Given the outcome, I may have to reconsider, because not only did I wake up refreshed, but I had this recipe, from start to finish, complete in my head! I can’t speak for where my subconscious ventured and how it all came to be, but here’s one delicious proof that afternoon naps pay off! Or that I’m productive even in my sleep! 🙂
Let’s call this: Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad
- Four medium-sized sweet potatoes, cut in small cubes (approx. ½″ across)
- Four medium-sized onions, diced
- Four-Five chives, diced
- Two cups quinoa, cooked and strained (this can be done ahead of time or as the first step of the recipe. It takes about 10-12 minutes from the time the water is boiling for the quinoa to be fully cooked)
- Coconut oil or any other healthy oil you like
- Sea salt to taste
- Put 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil in a frying pan, add the sweet potatoes and fry, stirring frequently. Cover them with a lid between stirring. They will cook in about 10-12 minutes. You can use a fork to test if they are cooked. Once ready, put in a metal strainer and drain the oil then place the cooked sweet potatoes in a large bowl.
- In a separate frying pan, add 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil and fry the onions, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Cover between stirring. To save time, you can cook the sweet potatoes and onions simultaneously or use the same frying pan and cook them in sequence.
- Chop the chives, add a pinch of sea salt to taste and mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.
This salad has a subtle sweet flavor enhanced by the coconut oil and it tastes rich and quite satiating on its own. I paired mine with mixed greens infused with an olive oil/apple cider dressing and some mixed mushrooms cooked in garlic oil. Best healthy vegetarian dinner combo ever!
I should confess that a glass of wine was present for the occasion and the grand finale was celebrated with a coconut tart and half a slice of carrot cake! Yes, this is my way of paying tribute to the balancing law of the universe! In other words: I eat healthy but I need my sinful delights too!
Make this recipe if you want to have a healthy alternative that you can pair up with just about anything and it will last a few good days. This choice will absolve you of all your dietary trespasses or allow you to make a few, knowing at least one of your options is oh-so-good-for-you!
Enjoy and Bon Apetit!
