Roasted sweet potatoes, spicy mustard, sour lemon juice and pungent shallots are some of my favorite flavors. Combine them with protein-rich quinoa and crunchy kale “chips” and you have a wonderful hot meal or a lovely cold salad.
Benefits of kale
I enjoy a variety of leafy greens, but tend to pick a favorite for several weeks. It is no surprise that my current “fav”, kale, made it into my newest recipe. Kale is abundant in vitamins K and A, providing well over the daily recommended requirement for these important micronutrients. It is also high in vitamin C, manganese, calcium, iron and antioxidants, arming the body with nutrients to fight chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, cataracts and more. Adding kale to your regular diet will help increase bone strength, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, improve immunity, metabolism and eye health.
Why eat sweet potatoes?
Roasted sweet potatoes are a great base for vegetarian meals. They are easy to prepare (dice and pop into the oven), tasty and filling. Sweet potatoes are high in vitamins A, B6, C, potassium and beta carotene. You can easily find these root vegetables year round in most grocery stores. They are a great staple for your pantry. The sweet flavor can be used for desserts, to offset spicy ingredients or, a tangy dressing.
The recipe
This recipe combines the caramel-roasted flavor of sweet potatoes, strong shallots and a tangy mustard dressing. It tastes great hot or chilled as a salad. Quinoa provides a nutty, complete protein, making this recipe an easy, nutritious, vegan lunch or dinner meal.
Roasted Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad on Toasted Kale
Ingredients
- 1 cup Quinoa precooked
- 4 pounds Sweet potatoes unpeeled
- ½ pound Kale (3 8" stalks) washed and torn into pieces
- 4½ tbsp Olive oil divided: 1 + 2 + 1½
- 1 Shallot diced
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice juiced from ½ large lemon
- ¾ tbsp Spicy brown mustard
- ½ teas Black pepper
- ¼ teas Sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven 450°
- Wash the sweet potatoes and remove any dark sections of the skin. Keep the majority of the skin on the potato for increased fiber and flavor.
- Dice the potatoes into .5 x 1" chunks and place in mixing bowl. Toss with 1 – 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Pour into a 9 x 13' baking pan. Roast for 35 – 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes for even cooking.
- While the potatoes are roasting, combine in a large bowl, 1 cup of cooked quinoa with the diced shallot and set aside.
- Make the salad dressing: lemon juice, 1½ tbsp olive oil, mustard, pepper and salt. Whisk until well mixed.
- Prepare the Kale by tossing the pieces with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Spread onto a baking sheet.
- When the potatoes are soft and browned, remove from the oven.
- Place kale into the oven. Cook 8 – 12 minutes until it is mostly crispy, but still pliable. Stir every 3 minutes to ensure it does not burn.
- While the kale is baking, toss 4 cups of the cooked sweet potatoes into the quinoa/shallot combination and stir. Pour the dressing into the mixture, stir well.
- Remove the kale from the oven. Divide the toasted greens onto plates and top with ½ cup of warm sweet potato-quinoa salad.
Nutrition
Do you like quinoa? Try this flavorful salad at the link below.
Tart and Spicy Quinoa Salad
Granny smith apples, spicy jalapenos, sweet bell peppers and tangy quinoa create a flavorful salad!
