Roasted Sweet Potato, Apple, and Quinoa Salad with Maple Cider Vinaigrette

Sorry I've been MIA -- but my baby is now 1 month old! That's taken me out of the kitchen quite a bit (although we've had wonderful friends that have provided meals for us and my husband cooks once a week so we definitely didn't have to rely on takeout like I thought we would).  And even when I was making dinner, I stuck to our old favorites or other tried and true recipes. All of that is great but doesn't make for much news for a food blog.

But I'm getting back in the kitchen more and more.  And right now, I'm on a huge roasted, cubed sweet potato kick - I just can't get enough.  So when I saw a salad that included roasted sweet potatoes, I was immediately on board.  I also love that between the sweet potatoes, quinoa and apples, it made for a very hearty (and healthy) salad. 

You could definitely make the quinoa and the sweet potatoes (and the dressing, of course) ahead of time in order to throw this salad together in no time.  Nothing in the salad needs to be hot so it would be fine to cook those things ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use. 

I served this with our crispy bourbon glazed salmon which I thought went really well together.

(As a completely random sidenote, I highly recommend topping your chili with these roasted sweet potatoes, too!)

Roasted Sweet Potato, Apple, and Quinoa Salad with Maple Cider Vinaigrette

Taken from: A Hint of Honey

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and cooked according to package directions (I cook mine in a rice cooker with 1 cup water)
• 6 oz. spring mix
• 1-2 fuji apples, diced
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced (I omitted)
• handful sweetened dried cranberries (optional; I included and thought it was delicious!)

Maple Cider Vinaigrette:

• 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• 2 tsp. real maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. To roast the sweet potatoes, preheat oven to 425 F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. Toss the potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil to coat and a generous sprinkling of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven, turning occasionally, for 25-35 minutes, until golden and tender. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

2. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa according to package directions. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.

3. To prepare the vinaigrette, in a small bowl whisk to combine the vinegar, maple syrup, and Dijon. Slowly pour in the olive oil while whisking constantly. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4. To assemble the salad, combine spring mix, cooled potatoes and quinoa, apples, onion, and cranberries. Drizzle with the vinaigrette, toss, and serve.