This is one of our favorite brunch recipes. Well, actually, we like it for any meal. It’s a delicious way to start or end your day, whether you’re in the mood for a hardy brunch or a light dinner. This meal contains all the right textures, flavors, and nutrients that make you feel satisfied and happy! The bitterness of the peppery arugula is balanced by the sweetness of the sweet potato hash and the tart dried cherries are balanced by the sweetness of the balsamic dressing. The yolk of the egg drips over the entire salad, adding a savory perfection and the hardiness that will keep you full. To top it off, the sunflower seeds add the necessary crunch factor and a touch of saltiness that brings it all together.
If you are making this for brunch, we recommend serving it with one egg and if you’re making it for dinner serve it with two eggs. One serving of this salad (with one egg) provides 450 calories, 21 grams of fat, 45 grams of carbohydrate, 13 grams of protein and only 9 grams of sugar.
The nutrients provided by this salad may promote better sleep, protect against free radicals, reduce inflammation and possibly protect against cancer…and you thought we were just giving you a recipe for brunch!
Arugula: Provides an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, manganese, calcium and magnesium and a good source of riboflavin, potassium, copper, and iron. Not only great for promoting good vision, vitamin A also promotes healthy skin, teeth, and tissue. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that promotes healthy skin, bones and connective tissue. It also helps your body absorb iron which is also a nutrient found in arugula. Iron plays an important role in oxygen transport and energy production.
Cherries: Provide an excellent source of vitamin A and C and a very good source of copper and manganese. Copper and Manganese are trace minerals meaning your body only needs them in small amounts. However, that doesn’t mean they are not important. Copper works with iron to form red blood cells and it keeps blood vessels, nerves, immune system, and bones healthy. Manganese is essential in over 300 biochemical reactions within the body including nerve and muscle function, immune function and keeping your heartbeat steady, to name a few. Fun fact: the darker the cherry, whether sweet or sour, the better it is for you because it contains a higher concentration of flavanoids.
Sunflower Seeds: Provide significant amounts of vitamin E, magnesium and selenium. Vitamin E helps counteract inflammation and protects against oxidative damage to cell membranes, brain cells and cholesterol. Magnesium helps promote sleep and muscle relaxation. It’s also important for healthy bones and energy production. Selenium may help prevent cancer because it plays an important role in inducing repair to damaged DNA and helps to eliminate abnormal cells.
Yams: Provides an excellent source of vitamin A and a very good source of vitamin C, manganese, copper, and vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 plays a large role in metabolism where it is essential in over 100 enzyme reactions. If you have Celiac Disease, you may have issues absorbing vitamin B6, which could cause weight gain due to inability to metabolize carbohydrates efficiently. Check with a physician if you have symptoms such as anemia, itchy skin, cracked lips, depression, confusion or a weak immune system.
Egg: Provides an excellent source of choline, and a very good source of selenium, biotin, vitamin B12 and vitamin B2. Choline is important in many reactions within the body and it plays an important role in the nervous system. Biotin helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels because biotin affects the production of insulin. Like all B vitamins, both vitamin B12 and vitamin B2 are important in energy metabolism. Additionally, vitamin B12 plays an important role in cardiovascular support, DNA production and brain and nervous system health.
When Bee and I hang out, three things are certain: 1. There will be good food in our lives 2. We will have an adventure and 3. There will be lots of laughter! Sometimes all three of these things take place while we are in the kitchen. When I visited Bee in Laguna we decided to create a similar version of this salad with the ingredients she already had on hand. Seriously, we recommend making this salad even if you don’t have the exact same ingredients. This version turned out delicious too! Just make sure you have all the elements that make the original version so darn tasty.
We did have arugula, so we used that as our base. We subbed shredded carrots for the sweet potato and added some small fingerling potatoes for a little extra hardiness. Cooking the carrots and potatoes in balsamic vinegar and a little garlic olive oil was extremely delicious! For the touch of sweetness, we used berries instead of the dried cherries. We topped our salads with an egg and dressed it with a splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and then added toasted pumpkin seeds. It was different than the original but equally as satisfying and healthy. Plus, we felt proud of ourselves for creating a new version without having to make a trip to the store.
- 1 sweet potato or yam
- ¼ cup dried tart cherries
- ⅛ cup toasted sunflower seeds
- 2 cups arugula
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2-4 eggs
- Balsamic dressing
- Skin the sweet potato and shred it using a cheese grater.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.
- Add the shredded sweet potato and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook your eggs over easy being careful not to overcook the yolks.
- To the sweet potato, add the balsamic vinegar and cook 3-5 more minutes. Add the cherries.
- To plate, place 1 cup of arugula on each plate, top with sweet potato-cherry mixture, 1 egg and the sunflower seeds. Dress with 1 tbsp of balsamic dressing.
- Enjoy!
Whether you make the original version or add your own twist like Bee and I did when we were together, you will love this salad!
As always, we send you LOVE and PEACE without grease!
XO, The Glisten Girls
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