Looking for a great nourishing recipe to prep ahead for your lunches?
Need to bring a potluck side dish, but you want to keep it both delicious and healthy?

Lauren’s Sweet Potato and Quinoa Grain Bowl recipe is high in plant-based protein and fiber which helps keep energy levels stable throughout the day, great for lunches!  The fiber has an added bonus of maintaining healthy blood sugar levels and reducing the risk of colon cancer. Parsley and Cilantro are great for detoxing, and have beneficial vitamin K, which increases bone density as well as reducing risk of heart disease. Goji berries were chosen as an alternative to dried cranberries for their reduced sugar content as well as their immune boosting benefits. Goji berry, as a medicinal herb “Gou Qi Zi,” is used to prevent the progression of macular degeneration, and promotes clear vision.

The best part? This recipe is gluten-free!

Ingredients

• -3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed. Par boiling these for about 10-12 minutes, or when semi easily poked with a fork, will make it much, much easer to cut them into cubes.
• -1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• -1 cup dried quinoa
• -1/2 cup dried goji berries
• -1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese – to make this recipe vegan, do not add feta cheese
• -1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
• -1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro

 

Dressing

• -2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• -1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• -1Tbsp raw honey
• – ½ tsp gound cumin
• -¼ tsp ground paprika
• -¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

 

Directions

1. Par boil sweet potatoes then cube, or peel and cube sweet potatoes from raw. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. On a large baking sheet, toss sweet potatoes and red onions in oil then season with salt and pepper.
2. Spread sweet potatoes and onions evenly on the sheet and bake for 10 minutes if par-boiled, or 20-25 minutes if raw. Sweet potatoes are done when a fork easily pierces through. Let cool for 10 minutes then transfer to a large bowl.
3. As the sweet potato and onions bake, rinse the quinoa and mix with 2 cups water. Bring quinoa and water to a boil then simmer, covered, on low heat until water is mostly absorbed, 15-20 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, honey, and spices. Gradually pour in oil and whisk until the texture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Add in quinoa, feta cheese, parsley, cilantro, and goji berries to the sweet potato and onions. Mix together and pour the dressing over the mixture. Serve warm or at room temperature.
6. Enjoy! This keeps in the fridge for about 5 days.

 

Lauren Peabody, L.Ac.