Roasted Kale and Sweet Potato Salad

This salad is one I could eat every day, and lets be honest I eat it nearly every day. So many vitamins and protein packed into one salad! I used to get this (without chicken) at PCC, but I craved it so often I finally asked if they would give me the recipe and apparently they will you give you any/all of their recipes!

This one is easy, and tastes even better after sitting in the fridge, so it's great to have on hand for a quick meal!

Salad:

2-3 large bundles of lacinato kale
1 large garnet yam
Avocado Oil
salt

Dressing:
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
pinch of salt
3 tbsp.extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. champagne vinegar
2 tsp. dijon mustard


Heat your oven to 425 degrees peel and chop the garnet yam into 1/2 or so square chunks, toss in a bowl with a really small drizzle of avocado oil and some coarse kosher salt. Roast on parchment paper about 30 minutes or until they start to brown. Take them out and place in a bowl. Next rough chop about two full bundles of lacinato kale with a tiny bit of avocado oil and salt turn oven up to 500 degrees and roast 2-3 minutes, just until soft. Once finished toss both together with the dressing, add grilled chicken if desired!

Nut Free Energy Balls: Paleo, Raw Vegan (assuming you're not the crazy vegan who doesn't eat honey)

So these have become a routine staple around here once I finally perfected my recipe, Austin takes a couple along with a couple hard boiled eggs to work for breakfast, the kids love them and I eat them post-workout for protein and energy. They are full of healthy fats, the raw cacao powder provides a lot of minerals and antioxidants and the seeds/nuts provide a lot of protein. I have made several versions and tried a lot of different combinations, this one has become my favorite. Keep in mind I don't measure anything in this recipe except the seed/nut base so these measurements are estimates :) 

3 cups organic raw unsalted sunflower seeds (What I use because I am sensitive to nuts) you can use walnuts or almonds as well. 

about 1/4 cup organic raw cacao powder

1 tbsp. vanilla

1 tsp. pink Himalyan salt (full of minerals) 

1/2 cup raw unfiltered local honey

Organic Coocnut oil 

Using a food processor add the nuts/seeds and raw cacao powder pulse until fine. 

next add the salt, and vanilla, pulse again until blended. Then add the honey and mix well. Once you've mixed the honey add the coconut oil slowly until it start to come together (sort of like a dough) then stop immediately so they're not too oily. Form into small balls and roll in the coconut. Let them set up in the refrigerator until they are slightly harder (once the coconut oil has chilled). 

Keep in mind these are very healthy but the raw cacao has a bit of caffeine and they will keep you up if your body is sensitive to caffeine like mine is. Also these are calorie dense; good fats and calories but don't eat half the batch, I usually eat 2 or 3 a day depending on my activity level for the day.