Autumn Apple Breakfast Salad

Recipe by: Brenda Pachel, featured on Chef AJ Live on 9/19/23

Ingredients:

• Salad:
  1. 2 cups sweet potato, bite sized cubes
  2. 2 cups cooked quinoa
  3. 1/3 – 1/2 cup walnuts, roasted and rough chopped
  4. 1 large gala apple, bite sized cubes
  5. 1/8 tsp cardamom
  6. 1/2 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
  7. 2 Tbls unsweetened applesauce
• Dressing:
  1. 2 Tbls Autumn Apple Balsamic
  2. 1 Tbl Ginger Balsamic
  3. 2 Tbls Apple butter (like Eden Brand)
  4. 2 Tbl unsweetened Apple Juice
  5. 1/4 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
  6. 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  7. 1/8 tsp cardamom
  8. 2-4 drops liquid stevia, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl combine, sweet potato, apple sauce, cinnamon, and cardamom.  Stir to coat.
3. Place sweet potatoes on prepared baking sheet and bake 25 – 30 minutes, or until done.
4. While the sweet potatoes are baking, place the walnuts in a small skillet and pan fry until fragrant and toasted.   When done, let them cool and give them a rough chop.
5. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bottle and shake until well combined.
6. In a medium bowl combine the sweet potatoes, apples, quinoa, 3/4 of the walnuts and dressing, stir to combine.
7. Serve with a garnish of the remaining walnuts and an extra drizzle of autumn apple balsamic, if desired.

Notes:

Note:  For extra flavor, cook your quinoa in unsweetened apple juice.  This salad also tastes delicious served on top of some fresh spinach.