Recipe: Sweetgreen Holiday Quinoa Salad

1 cup red quinoa (rinsed)

1 cup white quinoa (rinsed)

1 large sweet potato (diced small)

1 large red beet (diced into cubes)

1 bunch Kale- flat leaf

2 tbsp. of dried cranberries

½ cup toasted almonds

Squeeze of fresh lemon

Extra Virgin Olive oil

1 cup balsamic vinegar

Freshly chopped parsley or basil

Garlic Salt

Pepper to taste

½ lb. of baby arugula or baby spinach

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the rinsed quinoa. Lower heat to a simmer and let cook until the water is absorbed (about 15 minutes); About 5 minutes before it is done. Remove from the heat and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Allow Quinoa to cool in large separate bowl. Coat sweet potatoes and beets with balsamic vinegar and roast in oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Then add to quinoa mixture. De-stem the kale and cut into ribbons ½ inch thick. Add to warm quinoa mixture. The heat from the quinoa will wilt the quinoa. Add cranberries, toasted almonds, parsley or basil. Give it a squeeze of fresh lemon, drizzle with a little olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Add garlic salt and pepper. You can either mix in a handful of baby arugula or spinach.

Johnna’s tip: Trying to stay healthy in the new year?? If yes, this is your recipe. Thanks to Sweetgreen (*the health food haven) for this one. We are actually a little late on posting this one, this was their holiday salad, but we felt it would match perfectly with our New Years Resolutions postings. At the beginning of the year, everyone is trying to eat healthy and work out so they want recipes that will help in those efforts. After tasting this salad at Sweetgreen, we decided it made the cut, it’s a tasty little number. Try alongside a baked chicken or as a lunch entree, Enjoy!