Quinoa and Sweet Potato Salad

This salad was inspired by a dish my mom and I saw in the salad bar of a grocery store. It looked good, so I noted the ingredients and decided to try to make it at home. The only catch? I didn't try the salad, I just looked at it. So, my version might not taste anything like the one I saw! Slightly sweet and tangy, this salad is healthy and easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

-2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 lb), cooked, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
-3 cups cooked quinoa (I used 1 cup uncooked quinoa with 2 cups water in my rice cooker)
-1/2 cup almonds, chopped
-3 oz. fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
-1/8 cup white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
-1/8 cup sesame oil
-2 T. soy sauce/tamari
-2 T. agave syrup
-1 t. powdered ginger
-1/2 oz. chives, chopped
-zest and juice from 1/2 orange


Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, soy sauce, agave syrup, ginger, chives, zest and orange juice to create the dressing.
2. In a large mixing bowl, fold together the sweet potato, quinoa, almonds and spinach. While stirring, drizzle the dressing over top. Taste the salad and add the dressing to your taste.
3. Refrigerate the salad for about an hour before serving. This salad tastes good cold, or at room temperature.