Sweet Potato Pesto Salad

For the most part, I like my food quick, simple and tasty... This quinoa recipe seems to tick all of those boxes, and makes a great office lunchbox filler. 

Sweet Potato Pesto Salad

The quantities of each of the below can be varied to the number of people you're cooking for, as well as your personal like or dislike for any of the below... (For instance, I would go lighter on the rocket, and heavier on the sweet potato!)

Ingredients per person:

1 sweet potato 

25g mature cheddar (preferably grated)
1 tbsp Pesto

1 handful of Rocket

Approximately 60g Quinoa (either boil up your own, or buy a sachet of the pre-cooked stuff: for ease, I often buy the Merchant Gourmet red and white quinoa packs)

Directions:

1. Bake the sweet potato for approximately 40 mins. Once it is soft all the way through when poked with a fork, remove from the oven. If you prefer your meals hot, you can use the hot potatoes, but I prefer to let them cool (or use leftover sweet potatoes) and return later to complete the following steps.

2. Fill a mixing bowl with your desired amount of quinoa 

3. Tear up the rocket and mix through.

4. Add cheese and mix through.

5. Add pesto (to taste) and either mix through, or leave in small dollops throughout.

6. Slice pieces of sweet potato onto the top of the salad and mix through.

Voila! This is a tasty and nutritionally sound meal that is perfect for using up left-over sweet potatoes, office or school lunches and would make a good BBQ salad.