Have you tried the Balsamic Almond and Turmeric Dressing yet?!? If not, here is the perfect Green Power Salad to put with it! If you didn’t get a chance to read my last post, then let me quickly fill you in. I started out making this salad last Sunday, intending on mixing in all my favorites while attempting a new homemade dressing to go with it. However, the dressing took over, stole the show and got a post of its own! So now, as promised, I have the scoop on the salad that left my tummy happy and full, yet wanting more!
But before I get too far into this salad, can I share a little secret with you??
WE’RE LISTING OUR HOUSE FOR SALE! I’m equal parts excited and scared. Excited at the prospect of moving to the area where we spend the bulk of our time, excited about the potential of finding a charming house that needs our love and attention, and excited about possibly designing my dream kitchen {or even a modified version of it}!
At the same time, I’m scared the house won’t sell quickly, I’m scared we won’t get the money we need for it, and I’m scared we won’t be able to find a home in our desired area and in our budget.
BUT, Josh and I have been preparing for this for some time and have done our best to get our finances in order as well as research and interview multiple realtors and feel confident we are in good hands. And more than anything, we both feel at peace that God is in control and will not only lead the right buyer to our house, but lead us to the perfect home to suit our needs and hopefully a few wants…kitchen! ;)
So if you couldn’t hear my enthusiasm in those last few paragraphs, envision an obnoxiously happy girl and go back and reread them!
One more quick bit of info before I get to this incredibly satisfying salad, a few of you have reached out and asked about an update on my mom {which is overwhelmingly kind of you} from where I shared her story here. Josh has created a landing page for me over at kayleepauley.com and I have posted a recent update, if you would like to read that, you can do so here {final update here}!
Okay, now to this salad! This salad seriously has all of my absolute favorites! I could happily eat any one of these items plain and by the spoonful, but combine them all together and you’ve got my ideal salad. Not to mention it packs a lot of nutrients and is high in protein and fiber!
Check out a few additional facts below:
- Spinach: an extremely nutrient-dense food, it is high in vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, folate, magnesium, dietary fiber, calcium and protein.
- Sweet Potatoes: good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron; provide calcium and potassium, contains beta-carotene
- Brussels Sprouts: high in fiber, provide over 20 essential vitamins and minerals, reduces heart risks and protects against cancer
- Garbanzo Beans: low in fat, high in dietary fiber and rich in vitamins and minerals
- Organic Eggs: good source of protein, iron, riboflavin, vitamin B-12, phosphorus and selenium
- Avocados: high in monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat which helps reduce risk of heart disease, and good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, folate and potassium
- Pecans: contain monounsaturated fats, can help lower cholesterol levels and reduce risk for developing heart disease
What makes this salad top-notch in my book, is the roasted veggies. Sweet potatoes {as many of you know} are my all time favorite and the smoked paprika and turmeric with just a touch of cayenne pepper create the perfect contrast to their natural sweetness. As for the brussels sprouts, add a touch of coconut oil, salt and pepper and their flavor simply bursts. My favorite pieces are the ones that get a bit too done and crisp up around the edges.
With the mention of using roasted veggies on this salad, I should briefly say that I am not at all opposed to warm things on my salad {of course once they’ve cooled a few minutes} but if you are one of those that has a hard time mixing in the hot with the cold, feel free to toss the roasted sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts into the fridge for a few minutes to cool off.
If you haven’t used a similar combination of these ingredients in a salad before, I highly recommend it! And don’t forget to whip up the Balsamic Almond and Turmeric Dressing to drizzle on top!
I hope wherever you are, this weekend is full of warm weather, blue skies, and sunshine! We will be spending our weekend working in the yard in preparation for listing the house, yay!!
Green Power Salad with Roasted Veggies
Ingredients
- 2 small-medium sweet potatoes cubed
- coconut oil cooking spray
- tsp turmeric
- tsp smoked paprika
- tsp black pepper
- tsp chili powder
- 1/8 tsp pinch cayenne
- 8 brussels sprouts chopped
- salt and pepper as desired
- 4-6 cups spinach
- 2 free range organic eggs boiled then sliced
- 1 avocado cubed
- 1/4-1/2 cup raw pecans
- 1 oz feta cheese crumbled
- 1/4 cup garbanzo beans
- Homemade Balsamic Almond Turmeric Dressing
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 400 degrees and prep two pans by spraying each with coconut oil cooking spray.
- Combine spices and add cubed sweet potatoes to one pan, spread potatoes out in single layer and spray them with additional coconut oil cooking spray then sprinkle half of spices over potatoes and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven, flip sweet potatoes, coat with additional layer of coconut cooking spray, then top with remaining spices and bake another 10 minutes or until soft and cooked.
- Meanwhile, add chopped brussels sprouts to second prepared pan, spray with coconut oil cooking spray, season with salt and pepper, toss to coat, then roast in oven for 7 minutes, remove and flip/stir and bake another 7-8 minutes or until edges begin to crisp and brown.
- While veggies cook, assemble two bowls with baby spinach and add eggs, garbanzo beans, pecans and feta cheese.
- Once veggies are cooked and have cooled, add them to salad and top with Balsamic Almond and Turmeric Dressing or other desired dressing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info taken from LIVESTRONG.com
