Bruschetta Quinoa Salad

The nasty germs made their way to our house last week!  Everyone was down at some point during the week so I was a bit MIA.  With a healthy house, I was able to try some new ideas in the kitchen.  Since quinoa and I have a fairly new relationship, I have kept my recipes pretty simple.  I haven't strayed away from hot dishes and was a bit intimidated by cold, salad-like quinoa recipes.  I decided to alter my Bruschetta Quinoa Skillet to a salad version that would be delicious as a side salad, and versatile enough to prep for meal prep.  This was honestly the first time I have ever tried cold quinoa and I must say, it is just as delicious.  Enjoy!

Bruschetta Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa (about 1 cup uncooked)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup mini mozzarella balls
12 basil leaves, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp garlic, minced
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Tbsp pure honey
Sea salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.  Mix well to incorporate all the flavors.  Store in an air tight container, in the refrigerator, for at least 1 hour to allow the ingredients to marinate.

Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Happy 2015!!  Monday kicks off a 5 week challenge for myself and some close friends!  Real food (with an occasional cheat) for 5 weeks, tons of water and a lot of moving and sweating.  So excited for it!  My fitness was very consistent in 2014, but it is time to kick it up a notch.  My goals for this year are to get in the best shape of my life!  I can easily say that I am in the best shape of my life right now, but I want to exceed those goals and do things I never thought were possible!

I developed this recipe for Christmas dinner.  My husband was cooking a big, juicy prime rib and I knew I needed some tasty vegetarian sides to have a fulfilling dinner myself, and for several Marines that joined us for dinner.  I love sweet potatoes and they are one of the main staples in my diet!  I didn't want to make the typical sweet potato casserole, so I opted for a delicious and healthy option (not to mention, super easy).  Enjoy!

Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

3 large sweet potatoes, skinned and chopped
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 pure maple syrup
Salt and pepper to taste (I use sea salt)

Preheat the oven to 400*.  In a large bowl, combine chopped sweet potatoes, melted coconut oil, maple syrup and salt and pepper to taste.  Toss to evenly coat all sweet potatoes.  Add to a greased baking dish and cover with foil.  Bake for 45 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender, tossing half way through.