Sweet Potato, Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

This is a delicious & very colorful salad!!  The recipe is taken from 500 Quinoa Recipes by Camilla V. Saulsbury which has a whole wide range of recipes! It’s a very well written book – waiting to try out more recipes!  The recipe makes 4 main-dish servings. 

Sweet Potato, Quinoa & Black Bean  Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into ½ in cubes

3T extra virgin olive oil

1T chili powder

1.5 c cooked quinoa (1/2 c quinoa cooked in 1 c water = 1.5 c cooked quinoa)

1 large red bell pepper chopped

½ c thinly slices green onions

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1T ground cumin

3T freshly squeezed lime juice

1T liquid honey or agave nectar

Sea Salt (or regular) & freshly ground pepper

·        Preheat oven to 400F.  In a large rimmed baking sheet, lined with foil & sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Gently toss together the sweet potatoes, 1T olive oil, chili powder & sea salt & fresh ground pepper.  Spread in a single layer on the baking sheet & roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown & tender.  Cool completely.

·        In a large bowl combine the sweet potatoes, quinoa, red pepper, green onions & beans.

·        In a large bowl, whisk together the cumin, lime juice, honey and 2T of olive oil. Add to the salad mix & toss gently to coat.  Season with salt & pepper to taste.