Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad

It's only been two days since I got back from the trip, and I already miss my family so much!!

This picture cracks me up!!  My dad, a self-proclaimed master photographer, insisted that we take a "candid" picture.  Yea...we so don't look like we're posing..The hubby looks the most hilarious out of all of us, I think haha..

Oh!  His genius creativity continues!

I also climbed a tree named Cork Oak!  From the feel of the bark, it was appropriately named.

I climbed up just fine, but coming down was a lil' hairy.  So the "macho" hubby came to the rescue and lent me his broad, manly shoulders =).

Ahh...I had so much fun...Alright, alright...enough reminiscing..

I don't know if it's nostalgia, the brutally hot weather, or the fact that I bombed my quiz (probably a combination of everything), but yesterday was one of those days where everything felt blah~

As much as I wanted to just turn myself into a cocoon with my fav Kona-scented blanket, catch up on So You Think You Can Dance, open up a box of cereal, and munch away mindlessly, I decided to get in the kitchen!  I'm so glad that I did!

I opened up my fridge and three things jumped out at me - sweet potatoes, tilapia, and black beans.  They inspired me to make me some sweet potato quinoa salad.  I sort of went south of the border with this one as you can see by the components.  To make it more special, I went the extra step to caramelize the onions.  There's nothing that arouses my senses and makes my mouth water like the smell of onions sautéing.  It smelled like a piece of heaven, and I instantly felt better =).  I am so easy to please, eh?

Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad

Prep time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Salad

• 2 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 in pieces*
• 1 Tbs EVOO
• 1 Tbs cinnamon
• ¼ cup cooked quinoa
• ¼ cup black beans
•  ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup zucchini, diced into bite-size pieces
• ¼ cup kale, chopped
• 1 avocado

Fish

• 6 oz. tilapia
• salt, pepper, chili powder to taste
• 1 Tbs EVOO

Dressing

• 3 Tbs EVOO
• 1 Tbs lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 teaspoon adobo sauce *

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Toss the sweet potatoes in EVOO and cinnamon and spread them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
3. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
4. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
5. Add the onions and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 minutes.
6. While the onions are caramelizing, cook the tilapia in a separate skillet with EVOO over medium-high heat, 2-3 minutes per side.  Season.
7. Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.
8. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, pour the dressing over the salad.
9. Top with tilapia
10. Enjoy!

I know this looks like a lot of work, but it really came together in a cinch!  It just requires a lil bit of patience.  Therefore, while I eagerly waited for my onions to caramelize, I HAD to  keep my mouth entertained  with this delightful treat...

Do you guys have Sprouts in your area?  I LOVE this store, and this lemon snap cookie is one of the reasons why I look forward to going there every week =).  If there's one near you, I highly recommend that you try it!

With this extra boost of energy, I got my study on!  Now I can spend the whole weekend with the hubby =).   Score!

Hope you guys have a fantastic Friday!!