Sweet Potato & Wild Rice Salad with Sweet N' Smoky Dressing

Sweet Potato & Wild Rice Salad with Sweet N’ Smoky Dressing

This salad, which has been adapted from a terrific recipe from the Annual Forks Over Knives Meal Planner, uses one of my very favorite, easy dressing recipes.

Salad Ingredients:

1 pound wild rice (about 2½ cups), cooked and chilled

4 cups peeled and chopped sweet potato

2 very large sweet apples (Envy preferred)

1½ cups chopped scallions (about 6)

1. Cook the wild rice according to the directions on the package. I simply place the rice in an Instant Pot with 4 cups of water and push the multigrain button. Chill.

2. Cook the sweet potatoes however you prefer, and chill. Finely dice the apples and scallions and mix together.

Sweet and Smoky Dressing Ingredients:

1 cup water

½ cup lime juice

4 ounces pitted dates (16 small Deglet Noor or 8 Medjool dates)

¼ cup Westbrae salt-free mustard or low-sodium Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon chia seeds

2 teaspoons SMOKED paprika

¼ teaspoon chipotle powder

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy. Pour over salad and toss well. Serve chilled over salad greens.

Back

Chef AJ

Chef

Chef AJ has been devoted to a plant-based diet for almost 40 years, and is proud to say that her IQ is higher than her cholesterol. She is the host of the television series Healthy Living with Chef AJ, which airs on Foody TV, and also hosts a weekly podcast of the same name. As a comedienne as well as a chef, she has made appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and The Late Show with David Letterman. She is the author of the popular books The Secrets to Ultimate Weight Loss: A Revolutionary Approach to Conquer Cravings, Overcome Food Addiction and Lose Weight Without Going Hungry, and Unprocessed, the co-producer of Healthy Taste of L.A., and the creator of the Ultimate Weight Loss Program, which has helped hundreds of people achieve the health and body they deserve. Chef AJ was also the executive pastry chef at Santé Restaurant in Los Angeles, where she was famous for her sugar-, oil-, salt- and gluten-free desserts, which used the fruit, the whole fruit, and nothing but the whole fruit. Chef AJ holds a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from eCornell University and is a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.