Roasted Sweet Potato, Spinach & Quinoa Summer Salad

A POWERHOUSE of nutrients in a summer side dish (or main veg) with roasted sweet potatoes, spinach, quinoa and avocados in a light lemony vinaigrette.

I’m always looking for new summer side dishes and this one pretty much kills it!

If you want to reverse the signs of aging, get stronger bones, fight inflammation, lose weight, increase your alkaline, boost your energy, strengthen your immune system and build muscle then you need to eat more spinach.

I absolutely LOVE spinach and eat it every single day in my protein smoothie.  It is so versatile and, unlike kale,  has virtually no taste.  Adding it to simple salads like this one will lower your inflammation through out your body.

And here’s a fun fact … did you know sweet potatoes contain something called Betaine.  Betaine is a special substance that helps stimulate bile flow and helps detox your liver and keep it healthy.

A healthy liver is essential to detoxifying our bodies.  Studies are showing that the damaged and unhealthy your liver the more it is being linked to speeding up free radical damage.

Long story short?  Eat foods that promote liver health.

I’ve said this before, and it bears repeating, making healthy choices everyday could mean the difference between a significant health issue and avoiding one.  Just because there may be a ‘disease’ in your genetic makeup does not mean it is your destiny.

Eating a healthy salad everyday is great step in the right direction.

Roasted Sweet Potato, Spinach & Quinoa Summer Salad

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★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews

• Author: Debi

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Description

A POWERHOUSE of nutrients in a summer side dish (or main veg) with roasted sweet potatoes, spinach, quinoa and avocados in a light lemony vinaigrette.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 Medium Organic Sweet Potatoes
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 3 cloves Organic Garlic, left in tact
• 1 cup Organic Quinoa, thoroughly rinses
• 2 Cups Organic Chicken (or Veg) Stock
• 2 Big Handfuls Organic Spinach, stems removed and roughly chopped
• 1 Organic Avocado, diced
• 1/3 Cup Dried Cranberries
• 1/3 Cup Slivered Almonds
• 1/2 Organic Red Onion, sliced thin

!LEMON VINAIGRETTE:

• 4 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard (do not substitute)
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
• 3 Fresh Basil leaves, finely chopped
• 3 Cloves Garlic (that was roasted while roasting the sweet potatoes), mashed
• Juice from  Organic Lemon
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425° F
2. Peel and dice the sweet potato in even cubes.  Toss them in a bowl along with the garlic and drizzle them with the olive oil.  Season liberally with salt and pepper.  Place them on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a Silpat.  If you crowd all the potatoes together they steam vs roast.  Roast for 15 minutes, give them a stir and check for doneness.  Roast another 5-10 minutes or until done but not mushy.
3. Meanwhile add the chicken (or veg) stock to a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Add the rinsed quinoa, cover and lower the heat to a simmer.   Cook for approx. 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.  When done, fluff with a fork and set a clean dish cloth over it to steam.   Peel the garlic and mash.
4. Next prepare the salad dressing by combining all the ingredients (including the peeled garlic) minus the olive oil.  Whisk vigorously and SLOWLY DRIZZLE in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified.
5. Add the sweet potatoes, quinoa, chopped spinach, dried cranberries, red onion, avocado and slivered almonds in a large bowl.  Toss the salad with the desired amount of dressing (there will be extra).  Serve immediately.
6. This salad will wilt if the dressing is left on too long.  It is best served immediately.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS:
BETTER THAN BEEF TURKEY BURGERS

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