Sweet potato + arugula + avocado

Here's a simple version of one of my favorite combos (I wrote about it before here). This plate made a perfect late brunch on Saturday, my day off yoga and thus day to sleep in and enjoy the morning at home. The recipe is so sweet and easy that you don't even need to think about measurements.

Arugula and bib lettuce with browned sweet potato and avocado

Wash, dry and plate some fresh arugula plus any other greens you have on hand (Here I used arugula from my garden and some local bib lettuce). Lightly drizzle with olive oil (the avocado will be the main source of fat here) and sprinkle with spirulina powder, smoked sea salt (plain sea salt works too) and cracked black pepper. 

Fill a small lidded pot with about 1" of water and heat to boil. Slice some sweet potato into rounds or half moons and add to the pot. Cover and steam until softened but not mushy. Heat 1Tb coconut oil in a cast iron skillet. Transfer the sweet potato to the skillet and cook several minutes on each side until nicely browned. 

Place the browned sweet potato rounds over the greens and top with sliced avocado. Voila!

A fabulous salad

Arugula, radicchio, romaine + coconut quinoa + pan cooked sweet potato + castelvetrano olives + flat leaf parsley + avocado spirulina dressing

Whew! That's a mouthful. And so was this salad. The basic idea came from this magic flavor equation:

 sweet potato + arugula + avocado = soo delicious

There is something spectacular about the sweetness, bitter crunch and creamy finish of this combination. A more basic version that I love is to roast a whole sweet potato, place it while its still hot out of the oven over a bed of arugula, and top with slices of ripe avocado and a bit of salt and pepper. Yum!

For a summer version (when it doesn't make as much sense to heat up house by turning on the oven) I opted to lightly steam the potatoes and then brown them in a skillet with a bit of coconut oil.

I cooked some quinoa, adding unsweetened coconut flakes in the last couple minutes of steaming. And it's all assembly from there: greens, then sweet potatoes and quinoa, topped with sliced olives and parsley. 

For the dressing I mashed an avocado with about a teaspoon of spirulina, a pinch of turmeric, salt, black pepper, and enough water to reach desired consistency. Simple and fabulous.