Eat the foods you love and enjoy! This salad contained some of my favorites, and yes, some are healthier than others. But it averaged out to a very healthy meal and finished as two cleaned plates! I learned this tip long ago when I started eating salads for lunch every day. I found that if I threw in a few “treat” ingredients (at the time it was black olives, organic corn and green grapes), I ended up LOVING my big healthy salad. Eating, and being, healthy should be an enjoyable experience. It should be more about adding in the GOOD STUFF and loving it so much that you stick to the plan. No one likes deprivation, and no one is going to stay in deprivation mode as a lifestyle. This salad included some of my favorite foods and flavors (sweet potatoes, grapes, chèvre, sriracha, cayenne and chipotlé) and came together harmoniously. If these aren’t some of your favorite foods, try putting together a salad or healthy meal that incorporates them. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
RECIPE: Sweet Potato Salad with Sriracha-Lime Dressing
//INGREDIENTS
(serves 4)
➵ 3 sweet potatoes (including my FAVORITE Japanese yams—it’s purple on the outside and white on the inside and amazing), cubed
➵ 2 tbsp of melted butter or coconut oil
➵ 1 large avocado, cubed
➵ 1 red onion, thinly sliced
➵ 1/2 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
➵ 1 cup red grapes, halved
➵ chèvre (optional for serving)
➵ mixed greens (I used romaine, spinach, mâche and roquette)
➵ 2 tbsp mayonaise
➵ 2 tbsp (or more to taste) of fresh lime juice
➵ 1tsp sriracha
➵ pinch of cayenne
➵ pinch of chipotlé
➵ 1/2 tsp of honey (optional)
➵ salt and pepper
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//DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Cube sweet potatoes, toss in melted butter or coconut oil, season with salt and pepper. Retain the skin for added nutrition!
- Roast sweet potatoes until soft and slightly browned, about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally and let cool to room temperature after finished.
- In small bowl, make lime-sriracha dressing. Combine mayo, lime juice, sriracha, cayenne, chipotlé and salt/pepper to taste. Add the honey if desired. Stir well and set aside.
- Prepare other salad items: onion, cranberries and grapes. Toss with greens, add cooled sweet potatoes, optional chèvre (but this is not “optional” if you live in France! 😉), and top with dressing.
- Enjoy!
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