I have been hearing from you (many thanks to those who have written to let me know!) that you are looking for easy, prep-ahead meals to help you keep up your healthy habits. So with that in mind, and with more fresh produce available as the spring months arrive, here is one of my favorite component-driven meals: my Cauliflower, Quinoa and Sweet Potato Salad. It’s full of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals and is highly anti-inflammatory. But it’s also delicious, filling and easy to either pack-and-go or make ahead. It’s pretty much the perfect bite! And this yummy salad provides the ideal opportunity to make elements ahead of time in order to maximize the flexibility of your healthy options.
Servings: 4 people
Equipment
- Two baking sheets
- Parchment paper (for lining baking sheets)
- Food processor
- Serving bowls
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower florets only
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 can chickpeas drained
- 1 sweet potato
- 1 cup quinoa uncooked
- 2 handfuls fresh herbs I use 1 basil and 1 parsley
- 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 red apple chopped and cored
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Lightly drizzle cauliflower florets with olive oil and sprinkle with turmeric and paprika.
- Place florets on a lined baking sheet. Add drained chickpeas to the baking tray and spray lightly with olive oil.
- Wash and cut sweet potato into one inch cubes. Spray or drizzle lightly with olive oil and add to a 2nd lined baking sheet.
- Place both baking sheets in the oven and roast veggies for 45 minutes, turning halfway through.
- While veggies are roasting, prepare one cup of quinoa according to package directions.
At this point, prepare the Herby Lemon Dressing as follows:
- Add the following components to a food processor:
- Fresh herbs
- Juice of one lemon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- Process until smooth, and add more olive oil as desired to reach optimal consistency.
- Salt to taste.
Once your veggies and quinoa are completed, remove from oven and stove and let them cool.
- Once cool, proceed to layer components in your bowl, using quinoa as the base and adding cauliflower, chickpeas and sweet potatoes atop quinoa (you can separate or mingle these veggies to your preference).
- Add 1/4 chopped apple per serving.
- Drizzle dressing over the top and enjoy!
Thank you,
Will the chickpeas be crunchy after cooking 45 minutes?
they should be… but you can always leave them in a few morning minutes… good to taste them to be sure they are the way you like them.
Would like to be able to Pin the recipe
You can do that on Pinterest here: https://www.pinterest.com/NBandM/_created/