It’s the time of year when healthy eating can take a back seat. From dining out to festive feasts, sometimes the vegetable intake can decrease and we’re left feeling sluggish and bloated after indulging and overeating (on the not-so-good stuff).

This salad is a super light and fresh addition to any meal and is quick to whip up. It’s a great one to take along to potluck dinners or BBQ’s – knowing that you’ll have something healthy to munch on if all else fails. It’s impressively tasty too, so no need to worry about complaints from your loved ones.

Ingredients:

Salad:

1 1/2 cup organic quinoa

2 golden kumara (sweet potato)

1 can organic chick peas

2 tomatoes (roughly chopped)

1 courgette or cucumber (roughly chopped)

1 large handful fresh parsley (roughly chopped)

1 large handful dried cranberries (sweetened with apple juice only)

1 large handful pistachio nuts

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup boiling water (to mix)

2 tbsp tahini

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 lemon juiced

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp himalayan pink salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees bake.

2. Rinse quinoa under cold water and then place in a pot with 3 cups of water. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat right down, cover and simmer for the remaining 10 – 15 minutes. It is cooked once the “tails” show and the liquid is absorbed.

3. Scrub or peel your kumara and chop into small cubes. Mix in a bowl with the cinnamon and a dash of olive oil. Place on a baking tray and bake until golden (about 30 minutes).

4. Drain the chickpeas and then mix in a bowl with the paprika, cumin and a little salt. Place these into a pan and fry off until the chickpeas are slightly crunchy and warm.

5. To prepare the salad, place the cooked quinoa into a bowl and add the tomato and courgette. Once the kumara and chickpeas are done, add these. Give the salad a good mix.

6. Sprinkle the parsley, cranberries and pistachios on top.

7. Lastly, to make the dressing, add all ingredients to a jar and give it a good shake up. Only add as much boiling water you need to to create a smooth silky dressing. Pour this over your salad.

8. Right before serving, give everything a good mix up to combine.

Delicious!