Originally posted by Sarah – November 13, 2015
Most of my posts focus around what’s for dinner. Tonight is date night so instead, you get to take a peek at lunch. Most people need a lunch that is quick, easy, can be brought to work, nutritious, and delicious. Done. This is a great salad. It does use a handy little tool, the spiralizer.
This is such a cool little tool. It doesn’t take up a ton of space, it’s fast, fun, changes the look of many dishes, can be used with tons of different vegetables, inexpensive, and easy to clean. I have used this many times in the past with zucchini to make “noodles”, it’s a great no carb option to traditional pasta dishes. Depending on which side you put the vegetable in, you can have thick or thin strings. Now that I’ve sounded like an infomercial for a spiralizer I think it’s about time we get to the food.
Let’s get started on th crispy sweet potato strings. I decided to leave the skins on for the added nutrition value, but you can peel them if you prefer. I used one medium sweet potato leftover from the last Springdell share box. Give it a good wash and slice it in half. Pierce the flat end of the sweet potato with the spikes and inset it into the cone of the spiralizer and twist.
I spiralize right onto a sprayed and lined baking sheet to make clean up easier.
When you get to the end of the sweet potato you are left with a nub inside the spiralizer. I never throw the nub away, be creative and find a use for it, a smoothie or a soup possibly?
Next I spray the potatoes with cooking spray and sprinkle on salt, paprika, and cumin. Choose the spices you enjoy and also what you think may go with the other flavors you are adding to your salad. Toss to coat completely and spread them out in a single layer.
Into a preheated 415 degree oven for just about 10 minutes. While they are baking and getting nice and crispy, you have time to put together the rest of the salad. I decided to use some Springdell spinach and sprinkle of feta cheese.
When the potatoes and nice and crispy, remove them from the oven and stack them in the center of your salad like a little nest. If you are packing this salad for a lunch, pack the potatoes in a container of their own and add them to your salad when you are ready to eat them. This way they don’t absorb the moisture from any of your other salad ingredients. I added a drizzle of my favorite salad dressing and it was ready to enjoy.
It’s always fun to change up your food routine a bit, keep things interesting. Enjoy!