Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad

It is friggin hot. I have been banished to the great state of Kansas for the month, and if you have never been to the midwest during summer, let me tell you again. IT'S FRIGGIN' HOT!

Don't ever come in the summer. Actually, there really is nothing here really anyway, other than a lousy football team and a baseball team that finally has started the grueling process of pulling their heads out of their butt-cheeks.

So today, it went from 108 to 97 which is cold, considering. Humidity is 400% but hey, you take what you can get.

Have I mentioned I miss home?

Tonight, amongst the groaning and moaning if ye old air conditioner, I chose to make something easy, light and yummy. Always yummy.

Dah, dah, dah!

Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad.

MMMMMM. Let me tell you how much of a hit this was, may I?

Too bad, I'm going to anyway. 

The kids liked it. 

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.

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Yes. Pigs did fly, actually. They wore silver sparkly capes and top hats with red plumes and were singing dancing queen. 

Oh wait. That was Priscilla Queen of the desert. My bad.

Anyway, this is super easy and not so hard on the a/c either. It's getting enough of a workout, let's not heat up the inside too.

You will need:

• Quinoa
• Sweet Potatoes
• Cilantro
• Bell pepper, color of choice
• Onion
• Tomato (roma is best)
• Avocado, ripe but not overly squishy. 
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Lime juice (preferably from real lime not plastic lime-looking container)
• Mushrooms (optional)
• Chili powder, salt and pepper

Add 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of water and 2 tsps of Better than Bouillon into pot. Chicken is fine unless you are veggie, then use the veggie version. Bouillon lumps are ok too. Bring to a boil, cover and turn to low. It should be done in 10-15 mins. 

Chunk up your sweet potatoes in bite sized pieces, and boil in another pot with a good pinch of salt.

While they are cooking, slice your onion in half, then cut into thin slices. Chop peppers and tomatoes and avocados into bits. Mushrooms into chunks. Cilantro chop roughly (aka dirty chop). Throw all of these in a good sized bowl. It makes a lot. 

Ok. Now clean up the mess from throwing. 

See cooking is fun! You get to throw shit, play with knives and fire, I mean seriously when can you have this much fun but in the kitchen?

                                      

The sweet potatoes will be done first. Drain them, rinse in cold water and dump into other stuff you threw already.

When quinoa has soaked up all the liquid, fluff with a fork and dump into the bowl. Add 2-3 Tbs of balsamic vinegar and the juice of 1/2 the lime. A pinch of salt, chili powder and pepper and if it is a little to vinegary to your taste buds and a teaspoon of sugar.

NOW you can mix it. The less you mix this the better. Avocado becomes all squishy with too much mixing. 

I served this with Broccoli Slaw. Quinoa is an excellent source of protein, therefore can be a meal in itself. If you are not vegetarian, baked or grilled chicken is an awesome addition. If you are using it as a main dish, double this recipe and add some good old bread and butter.

Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad

 1c Quinoa

2 Sweet Potatoes

1/2 bunch Cilantro, chopped

1/2 Bell pepper, color of choice, diced

1/2 Onion, diced

2 Roma tomatoes, diced 

1 Avocado, diced

3 Mushrooms, diced (optional)

2 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tbs Lime juice (preferably from real lime not plastic lime-looking container)

1 Tbs Chili powder

1 Tbs Garlic

Pinch salt and pepper

Bring 2 cups water or broth to a boil and add quinoa. Reduce heat to low and cover pot. Chop sweet potatoes into chunk and boil in broth or water until barely fork tender. Assemble remaining veggies into bowl. Mix together vinegar, spices, and lime juice. Add potatoes and quinoa to veggies. Pour sauce over top and mix lightly. 

Veg-alicious Sandwiches.

Do you have a bunch of random bits and pieces of vegetables in your fridge drawers that you haven't quite needed yet and don't know what to do with?

Did you shop the used bread section at Freddies and get some awesome stuff but have no clue what to do with it?

Are you looking for a quick and easy meal in about 30 mins or so?

If you answered yes to any of these question then I have the recipe for you!

This is one mom came up with at some point, and well, I made up my own version of hers.

Today's random veggies:

-Brussel Sprouts

-Sweet Potatoes

-Cauliflower

-Onion

-Bell Pepper

-Mushrooms

So dig them out of the drawers, cut off any bad parts ('cause you know that the cauliflower you bought a month ago has one or 2)

Chop into decent sized bits and dump into a good size bowl.

Get out your balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil.

Yes you may substitute the oil for what you have on hand. Balsamic or other dark vinegar (malt, etc) are required for the depth of flavor. If you must, red wine is a good sub, but def not white or apple cider ok? Ok.

If you need a lesson on vinegars, I will be happy to give one. OOOOH! Maybe do a post about vinegars and basic herbs/spices and their uses! YES!

Sorry, got side-tracked.

Anyway, pour in some vinegar and oil in the bowl. Nope, no need to measure just throw some in, enough to cover the veggies when tossed around. Sprinkle in some garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper.

If you toss around and it doesn't look like enough vinegar or oil, add a little more.

Fine. Maybe 2-3 Tbs of oil to 4 c of veggies, 5-6Tbs vinegar. K?

Geez! I will teach you to wing it. Measuring is for the birds unless its baking. Then its required. Just start with a little, taste it, if its not enough, add more. Easy. Just START SMALL. Better to add than to have to take away, 'cause taking away is pretty impossible. And fixing is not fun.

Ok. So, turn on the oven.. maybe 350-375 or there abouts. If your oven is retarded like mine is, then higher or lower is fine.

Dump your veggies onto a FOIL lined baking sheet or jelly roll pan (baking sheet with sides) Trust me. The foil will make your life SOOOO much easier when its time to clean up. Recycle the foil, though ok? Gotta remember mother earth and protecting her.

Throw in oven and let do its happy thing. You might want to turn them once in the cooking. I ignore them and go play on pinterest for awhile.

When the house starts to smell good (about 20 mins or so, depending on the retarded oven), grab that random bread, slather it with whatever cheese you have on hand, throw in oven to get all melty.

While its getting all melty, grab out the stuff you like on sandwiches. Mayo and horseradish.

Or whatever.

Assemble sandwiches. Your done.

See? Easy?

If you are so inclined, you can make something like mac n cheese or fries or corn on the cob or devilled eggs or whatever suits your mood and the season.

I do coleslaw, devilled eggs and corn in the summer, pasta in the winter.

Don't ask me why, I'm just odd that way.

I need to give you my devilled egg and coleslaw recipes at some point. They are other things that are super simple.

This is, by the way, a great meal for camping. Cut veggies store in plastic containers, getting all happy in the juices. Bring a cast iron skillet and some foil to put over it and cook over campfire. It was a big hit!

Who said you can't do gourmet cooking while camping?