Snowed In and Roasted Sweet Potato, Farro, Kale Salad with Warm Cinnamon-Honey Dressing

February 23, 2015 Corrie Anderson

Snow, ice, and freezing temperatures have blanketed most of the United States this past week.

Here in Nashville, the city shut down for much of Monday and Tuesday, schools were out for the week, and many businesses were forced to shorten their hours or close all together.

We took a walk to Starbucks early Monday morning, and I have never seen the city so desolate in daylight! We were some of the only mortals to brave the streets and were rewarded with steaming cups of delicious coffee. We left a big tip, as we always do on days when it sucks to be working (Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc.).

We lost power on Monday and Tuesday for several hours. Our doors are in dire need of replacing, and because you can see through the large cracks between the door and the wall, you can imagine it gets cold fairly quickly.

Luckily, we have a gas fireplace.

After several minutes without power, in our agony and hunger, we had to resort to roasting marshmallows over the fire, and thus, making s'mores.

Several back roads are still pretty bad, but for the most part, the ice has melted and travel is possible once again. People can go get groceries now.

HOORAY!

If you are making a trip to the grocery store, you should pick up some ingredients to make this rockin' Roasted Sweet Potato Farro Kale Salad with Warm Cinnamon Honey Dressing.

This recipe is great for the following situations:

Showing off at a dinner party
Bringing the best salad to a potluck
Providing the only healthy item at a potluck (Are potlucks generally unhealthy or is that just a Southern thing?)
Tricking people into eating something healthy thats actually VERY delicious
Meatless Monday!!!
A warm meal for a snowy day

Those ruby gems are purple sweet potatoes. They are definitely a bit more dry than regular sweet potatoes, but delicious nonetheless! When roasting the sweet potatoes and onions, be sure there is enough space in between the vegetables. Too much crowding will lead to mushy vegetables, and you want a golden crunchy roasted sweet potato. Another way to avoid mushy sweet potatoes is making sure the temperature is between 425 and 450 degrees.

The Warm Cinnamon Honey Dressing is so divine and was a kitchen accident. I was making dressing for a taco salad, and accidentally put cinnamon in it instead of cumin. Totally different taste. . . BUT SO GOOD! I just took the lime out of it for this salad. A cinch to make, the fresh herbs do add a nice touch, but are definitely optional.

This recipe is dedicated to our dear friends Bill and Jennifer. They are the type of friends that will walk right into your house with cranberry relish that you forgot to buy, and start chopping parsley, cutting flank steak, and plating crostinis. I know this because it actually happened. Chris had a severe migraine the day of our Christmas/Gratitude party and so we were a little bit (A LOT A BIT) behind schedule, and they just hopped right in to save the day!!

Please let me know what you think of this recipe! Leave me a comment OR post a pic on Instagram, use #itsallofit and tag me (@corrielanderson). Stay warm out there folks!!!

Roasted Sweet Potato, Farro, and Kale Salad with Warm Cinnamon Honey Dressing

Recipe Author: Corrie L. Anderson Recipe Type: Lunch, Dinner, Side Serves: 6-8

Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS

2 – 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
½ of an onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
fresh herbs, chopped (rosemary/oregano/ sprigs of thyme work well!)
¼ cup raw farro or wheat berries
½ cup water
½ bunch of green Kale
½ bunch of Russian Kale
¼ - ½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup raw pepitas
sprinkle of sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 425° – 450°. Prepare flat pan, by placing a sheet of parchment paper on it.
Rinse farro with hot water. Pour farro and water into a pot, bring to a boil and then to a simmer. Cover and leave simmering for about 40 – 45 minutes. Once the farrow is chewy, drain into a fine sieve. Pour on top of kale, while still warm.
Arrange sweet potatoes, onion, and shallot so they are relatively evenly spaced. Drizzle olive oil on top of vegetables. Sprinkle herbs, sea salt, and black pepper on top. Roast for 35 – 45 minutes; toss vegetables around at least once during their roasting.
Rinse kale, and rip into smaller pieces. Place in large bowl.
In a small saucepan, add pepitas, and sprinkle with sea salt. Cook over medium heat until golden brown.
Pour farro, roasted vegetables, dried cranberries, and roasted pepitas over kale. Drizzle with with Warm Cinnamon-Honey dressing. ENJOY!

Serving Size: 1 Calories: 186 Fat: 8g Sat. Fat: 2g Carbohydrates: 28 g Sugar: 6g Sodium: 222mg Fiber: 6g Protein: 7g Vitamin A: 325% Vitamin C: 80%

Warm Honey-Cinnamon Dressing

Serving Size: 1 - 2 teaspoons (makes about 2 ounces) ** A dear friend of mine recently made this and said she recommends doubling the dressing ingredients!

Ingredients

1 small garlic clove, smooshed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
fresh thyme, sage, or rosemary, chopped
sprinkle of kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Smoosh garlic in a garlic press. Add all ingredients to a small glass jar and shake! Taste, and then season with salt and pepper to your liking! Will keep for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator