quinoa sweet potato salad

quinoa sweet potato salad

This salad is, really, not a true salad.

It’s more like a pile of warm roasted sweet potatoes, caramelizy onions, and crisped chickpeas, all fragranced-up with some sprigs of fresh rosemary and speckled with toasty maple walnuts, piled on quinoa with fresh greens if your heart feels it, and eaten warm – or cold! – at your desk, in between morning and afternoon pumpkin lattes.

It is the food manifestation of cozy, with a healthy foot forward. It is ready for sweater weather. It is fall in a bowl.

QUINOA SWEET POTATO SALAD… AKA THROW ALL THINGS ON A SHEET PAN!

Here’s the recipe: sheet pan. The end.

Diced sweet potatoes. Chickpeas. Rosemary. Shallots. Really, just DO IT FOR THE SMELLS. It is fall’s perfume.

Throw some mapled walnuts on there at the end of the roasting session and BAM. What is this, the hottest new vegan restaurant in town?

At this point you have a few options.

1. Mix right away. Toss everything together with some quinoa and greens (optional).
2. Prep for later. Divvy it up between lunch containers so you’re LUNCH GAME STRONG for the week.

ADDITIONAL QUINOA SWEET POTATO SALAD CONSIDERATIONS:

The roasted sweet potatoes, chickpeas, caramelizy shallots, maple walnuts, and quinoa all make a delicious and filling meal, period. But my favorite recipes are ones that kind of give you room to improv a bit depending on the mood of the day, and there’s definitely room for that here.

• Fried egg
• Soft boiled egg
• Goat cheese
• Roasted chicken
• Red pepper flakes
• Lemony herb dressing
• Honey mustard dressing
• Green tahini (again ♡)
• Just olive oil and lemon, because #easy.

I went with honey mustard dressing and a side of roasted chicken and holy moly. It did not disappoint.

THREE REASONS TO LOVE WALNUTS RIGHT NOW

• Toasted with maple = magic. Fall’s nature candy.
• Keep you full. THANK YOU.
• Amazing source of Omega-3 fatty acids which are important for your body and your brain, and can help fight depression and anxiety, and inflammation, and a variety of other things. A true superfood.

In addition to walnuts being  all on their own, we’re ALSO taking the pledge this month to #ChooseLunch. That means lot of meal prep recipes to keep that midday slump at bay and actually make us, well, want to eat lunch every day? YES.

Walnuts + Meal Prep = Match made in heaven. ♡

quinoa sweet potato salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Yield: 4 large servings

DESCRIPTION

Quinoa Sweet Potato Salad! A sheet-pan meal prep salad packed with roasted sweet potatoes, caramelizy onions, crisped chickpeas, fresh rosemary, and toasty maple walnuts.

INGREDIENTS

Sweet Potato Salad

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
• a sprig of rosemary or thyme
• a pinch of salt
• a swizzle of olive oil
• 1 14-ounce can chickpeas
• 1 cup whole walnuts
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Extras

• cooked quinoa (for serving, optional)
• baby kale (for serving, optional)
• dressing of choice (see notes)

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 
2. Arrange the sweet potatoes on a large sheet pan with the shallots and herbs. Toss with olive oil and salt. Roast for 20 minutes.
3. Add chickpeas to the pan. Stir it all up. Roast for another 20 minutes.
4. Toss walnuts with maple syrup and a little more salt. Add mapley walnuts to the pan. Stir it up. Roast for another 5 minutes.
5. Remove the stems of the herbs. Serve roasted mixture with cooked quinoa, baby kale, and dressing of choice. Healthy and delicious!

NOTES

Dressing ideas: this lemon dressing, this honey mustard, or just plain ol’ lemon, olive oil, and salt! Can’t go wrong.

Keywords: sweet potato salad, sheet pan meal, meal prep, lunch recipe, healthy meal prep recipe

Serves 4

Calories Per Serving: 424

% DAILY VALUE

42%Total Fat 27.6g

0%Cholesterol 0mg

20%Sodium 475.4mg

13%Total Carbohydrate 38.7g

35%Dietary Fiber 8.7g

Sugars 9.9g

21%Protein 10.6g

31%Vitamin A 462.4µg

4%Vitamin C 2.5mg

paprika chicken pasta

paprika chicken pasta

Guess what? Pasta and chicken are getting spicy, creamy, and ultra-cozy for fall! That’s what.

There are zero fancy things going on here. We’ve got pasta (farfalle, because bowties are just adorable, aren’t they?) tossed in a luscious and creamy sauce that is kicked up a notch with paprika – spicy or not! you choose. The chicken is baked under a nice coat of dry spices and can be served tossed in with the pasta, or just sliced and laid nice and pretty on top.

And… that’s all. Add some roasted broccoli or green salad or whatever you like as a side (would crusty bread be too much?), and this is silky-smooth paprika chicken pasta is suddenly looking like a hot new fall accessory.

LET’S MAKE PAPRIKA CHICKEN PASTA, READY GO.

Okay, first up. Bake your chicken. I used the internet’s favorite brine / brush / bake method.

But basically it’s like this:

Now onto the pasta, and since we are working with so few ingredients here, please select good quality pasta!

Boil the pasta and toss it with your creamy sauce.

OH MY GOSH. Look how beautiful and creamy and paprika-y

That’s all! You’re done.

Chicken goes on top, or mixed in, however you like it.

Send your fork into that luscious bowl of paprika chicken pasta goodness and call it a day

paprika chicken pasta

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Yield: 2–4 servings (2 if you’re hungry, 4 if you’re reasonable) 

DESCRIPTION

Paprika Chicken Pasta! ♡ Spiced baked chicken with pasta tossed in a luscious and creamy paprika sauce. YUM.

INGREDIENTS

Paprika Chicken

• 1 pound chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• a pinch of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt

Creamy Paprika Pasta

• 8 ounces farfalle (DeLallo brand is the best pasta, hands down!)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons paprika (see notes)
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup heavy cream 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• squeeze of lemon juice

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 
2. Brine the chicken: Fill a medium bowl with lukewarm water. Sprinkle some salt in. Soak the chicken breasts in the salted water for 15 minutes. (This purpose of this is for better flavor – if you are short on time, you can skip this.)
3. Bake the chicken: Pat the chicken dry. Transfer to a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle thoroughly with paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Let the chicken rest before slicing.
4. Pasta: Cook to package directions. Toss with oil and set aside.
5. Sauce: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic; saute for about 2 minutes. Add the flour; cook for about 2 minutes. Add the wine; stir and let it sizzle out. Add the broth, a little at a time, stirring between each addition. Add the paprika and the cream. Stir until bubbly and creamy enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season to taste with salt and lemon juice.
6. Assembly: Toss the pasta with the creamy sauce. Arrange a sliced chicken breast on top. Sprinkle with parsley or red pepper flakes.

Paprika: Regular paprika works perfectly. Hot Hungarian paprika also works, but it will be spicy, so you might only need one teaspoon instead of two. Smoked paprika… I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe because it’s so, um, smokey? but you’re in charge of your own destiny here!

Wine Replacement: Use additional chicken broth.
paprika pasta, paprika chicken, weeknight dinner, pasta dinner, cozy pasta recipe, easy pasta recipe

Serves 4

Calories Per Serving: 519

% DAILY VALUE

30%Total Fat 19.2g

38%Cholesterol 114.8mg

28%Sodium 669.4mg

16%Total Carbohydrate 49.3g

10%Dietary Fiber 2.5g

Sugars 2.4g

72%Protein 36.1g

10%Vitamin A 151.8µg

4%Vitamin C 2.5mg

cinnamon sugar apple cake

cinnamon sugar apple cake

This cinnamon sugar apple cake is just one of those things that is very regular but somehow elevates the day a little bit. It’s low maintenance, highly snackable, and 100% as warming, fragrant, and cozy a basic apple cake should be. 

This apple cake is:

• light and fluffy
• loaded with fresh apples
• sweet but not overly sweet
• magically crispy with that layer of cinnamon-sugar on top
• a nice vehicle for some whipped cream or honey butter
• excellent with coffee
• and a sweater
• and a fall candle
• coming to you, warm, fresh-out-the-oven, in just under an hour.

HOW TO CUT APPLES FOR APPLE CAKE, IN MY (UN)PROFESSIONAL OPINION

First of all, let me just establish that I do not peel my apples for anything. No thanks, man. I just cannot be bothered to spend any time removing a perfectly good, edible, nutritious peel. You go ahead and make the rules in your own kitchen.

Here are some apple cutting options for you:

• Finely diced (top): classic apple cake situation. You’ll get tiny pockets of juicy apple tucked into your cake. Very normal and delicious.
• Thinly sliced (middle): my personal favorite. I use a mandoline (affiliate link) to slice the apples super thinly, and then I run through them again with a knife to create bite-sized, paper-thin pieces of apple. This allows you to still get those pockets of apple in your cake, but helps distribute the apples a bit better so you’re not ending up with such heavy chunks of apple in the cake.
• Shredded (bottom): the pieces of apple will magically sort of “disappear” into the cake. No pockets of apples – just lots of that naturally wonderful apple sweetness. This is my second favorite way to cut the apples.

HERE’S HOW TO MAKE APPLE CAKE

Mix your apples into the batter.

Bake, slice, and now eat, like, a lot of apple cake.

This cake was the perfect weekend treat (not to mention Monday snack and Tuesday 2nd dinner), and guess what’s right around the corner?  Wednesday breakfast.

Add some honey butter and coffee and you are in Cozy Fall Business.

In our house, we have no problem eating the. whole. thing.  As in, two adults and one entire cake. A little piece here, and a little piece there, and three more pieces after dinner, and suddenly it’s time to make another apple cake.

cinnamon sugar apple cake

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 45 mins Yield: 12

DESCRIPTION

This simple cinnamon sugar apple cake is light and fluffy, loaded with fresh apples, and topped with a crunchy cinnamon sugar layer!

INGREDIENTS

Apple Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon white vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 cups chopped apples (see notes)

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix ingredients in order given, stirring until just combined.
3. Pour batter into a buttered 9×13 pan.
4. Combine last 3 ingredients to make a topping and sprinkle / spread it evenly over the batter.
5. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve with honey butter or whipped cream if you want. APPLE CAKE IS THE BEST!

NOTES

The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products we use and love!

Apples: I found that two average sized apples was about the right amount to get 2-ish cups of cut apples. For cuts/textures, see the photo and notes in the post! I like to use a crispy, sweet apple like Honeycrisp for this cake, but honestly, I think just about any type of apple would work.

Types of Oil: Canola or vegetable oil is what I normally use, but olive oil is also really delicious in baked goods – it just has a unique, distinct, olive oily flavor. Also, I haven’t tried it yet but I’d be willing to bet that an equal amount of coconut oil or butter would work, too.

Honey Butter: Mix 2-3 tablespoons softened butter with 2-3 tablespoons of honey. Add a sprinkle of sea salt if you want to take it over the top (you do).

Serves 12

Calories Per Serving: 319

% DAILY VALUE

12%Total Fat 7.9g

6%Cholesterol 18.9mg

7%Sodium 158.1mg

20%Total Carbohydrate 59.3g

4%Dietary Fiber 1.1g

Sugars 38.4g

8%Protein 4g

1%Vitamin A 18.1µg

2%Vitamin C 1.1mg

pumpkin rigatoni with rosemary walnut crispies

pumpkin rigatoni with rosemary walnut crispies

Good news! There is a bowl of silky, creamy, savory pumpkin-sauce-bathed rigatoni sprinkled with rosemary walnut crispies that has your name on it for dinner tonight, and for lunch the next day, and for lots of days after that.

This pumpkin pasta is especially here for you if you enjoy:

• Fall flavors
• Warm, toasty things
• Rosemary and garlic and butter
• Foods with contrasting silky / crispy texture
• Pumpkin as a life theme
• Big floppy rigatoni noodles
• Like, things that taste really good?

This month we’re taking the pledge to #ChooseLunch, and is there really a better lunch to look forward to in the fall than creamy pumpkin pasta with rosemary walnut crispies? This is one of those recipes that keeps well for several days, reheats beautifully, fills you up, and tastes so good that you’ll be doing a little happy dance in your head (or, like, not in your head) every time you remember that it’s waiting for you in the fridge.

Breakfast is yummy and dinner is wonderful, but 10/10 chance you’ll have a more productive, happier, feel-good day if you keep yourself well-fed at lunch time. ♡

There are two parts to making this recipe, the most important one being making those little rosemary walnut crispies.

Should you make a double batch of them so you can add them to every salad, roasted vegetable bowl, soup, cheeseboard, snack bag, and stew for the rest of fall and winter? Y to the E to the S. These little guys are universally delicious.

MAKING THE WALNUT CRISPIES:

First, get your walnuts chopped and toasted.

Then toss them with just a little bit of fresh rosemary and brown sugar and black pepper and salt and butter. It’s just an essential walnut spa treatment, really. Try not to eat all of them hot off the pan because WOW.

Fun fact: Walnuts are an incredible source of Omega-3 fatty acids which are important for your body and your brain, and can help fight things like depression and anxiety, and inflammation, and a variety of other things. Food is so amazing.

MAKING THE PUMPKIN PASTA:

Okay, cook your pasta.

Make your pumpkin sauce which is so easy and life-changingly good.

Combine.

Pasta goes in the bowl, and a spoonful of rosemary walnut crispies (okay, fine, a few more) (and then just a few more) go on top.

THIS IS LIVING. Honestly. This bowl of pumpkiny, rosemary/garlic goodness is going to get you right in the fall feels.

pumpkin rigatoni with rosemary walnut crispies

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Yield: 6 servings

DESCRIPTION

Pumpkin Rigatoni with Rosemary Walnut Crispies! Silky, creamy, savory pumpkin-sauce-bathed rigatoni sprinkled with rosemary walnut crispies. The BEST.

INGREDIENTS

pumpkin rigatoni

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or minced
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1–2 teaspoons kosher salt
• squeeze of lemon
• 1 lb. rigatoni

rosemary walnut crispies

• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1–2 tablespoons brown sugar (I like 2)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
• black pepper to taste

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Rosemary Walnut Crispies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Run the walnuts through a food processor until they have a chopped texture. Arrange chopped walnuts on a small sheet pan and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss with rosemary, butter, sugar, salt, and pepper. Set aside to cool.
2. Pasta: Cook according to package directions. Drain.
3. Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce: While the pasta cooks, heat the butter in a skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant (do not brown the garlic – it tastes bitter). Add the pumpkin and broth; simmer until smooth. Add the cream and salt; simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Add a little squeeze of lemon juice if you’re into that. Add cooked pasta to the sauce.
4. Assemble: Serve pasta in shallow bowls with a sprinkle of the walnut crispies on top, and a little sprig of rosemary for a fancy garnish if, you know, you’re fancy.

Vegan Version: Use olive oil in place of the butter, and full-fat coconut milk in place of the cream. (The vegan version is not quite as rich but it’s really, really good.)

Serves 6

Calories Per Serving: 633

% DAILY VALUE

53%Total Fat 34.6g

20%Cholesterol 60.1mg

26%Sodium 613.1mg

23%Total Carbohydrate 67.9g

20%Dietary Fiber 5g

Sugars 8.1g

31%Protein 15.5g

35%Vitamin A 529.9µg

6%Vitamin C 3.9mg

vegetarian shepherd’s pie

                                   shepherd’s pie

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie! ♡ Ay yay yaaaay. This is good.

Shepherd’s Pie season is upon us and this super cozy vegetarian version is running around on the loose in our house. And did you hear me when I said veg only? Honestly, we don’t even need the meat – I promise these vegetables are the yummy kind.

Like, really yummy.

Like, sautéed with garlic and onion, sauced up with a sizzle of red wine, coated in a quick gravy, and baked under a layer of creamy mashed potatoes good. Want. Want. Want.

This is not a lentil shepherd’s pie, but if you want to add lentils for a little more protein punch, you do you.

LET’S TALK MASHED POTATOES FOR SHEPHERD’S PIE

I decided to put Greek yogurt in my potatoes to lean towards healthy while still being creamy-tangy (gah, so good).

That being said, if you want this to be a completely vegan shepherd’s pie, just use olive oil instead of butter and maybe a splash of non-dairy milk in your potatoes and you will be golden.

And if you’re gluten free? I have a hack for you involving mashed potatoes – check the recipe notes.

Meat or no meat, dairy or no dairy, gluten or no gluten… let’s work with everyone here.

Can you smell it though? That red wine, garlic, olive oil, rosemary aromatherapy?

If you’re really looking ahead, I’ll also say that Shepherd’s Pie is a perfect after-Thanksgiving recipe, because guess what you have a lot of in your fridge after Thanksgiving? Leftover mashed potatoes. This is an amazing way to use up some of those holiday potato leftovers.

The mashed potatoes usually need a little help since they dry out a bit in the fridge, so just heat them up with a little water or milk and get them nice and creamy again, and then spread that magic on top of your silky, veg-packed mushroomy gravy.

Important to note that this vegetarian shepherd’s pie is a total comfort food meets real food situation, so it’s going to require pajamas or sweats. A big fluffy sweater would be okay, too. Blanket, slippers, and candle are all optional. But a big appetite will be necessary. I know you can deliver.

When you pull this out of the oven and the sauce is bubbling up around the sides under the lightly-golden-brown potatoes and your whole house smells like a log cabin in the northwoods?

That will not be a sad moment for you.

vegetarian shepherd’s pie

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 35 minutes Yield: 8, or 6 if you’re hungry

DESCRIPTION

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie ♡ saucy mushrooms, carrots, and peas topped with creamy mashed potatoes. Real food meets comfort food!

INGREDIENTS

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie Filling:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 shallots, minced (or some onions and garlic)
• 16 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 6 carrots, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups)
• fresh herbs to taste (I used 1 sprig of rosemary, thyme, and a bay leaf)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1–2 cups veggie broth
• 1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
• 2 cups frozen peas

Mashed Potatoes:

• 6 Yukon gold potatoes (about 2 pounds)
• 1/2 cup full fat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup butter or olive oil
• salt to taste

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make the mashed potatoes: Peel the potatoes. Boil them until fork tender (you want them to mash easily). Drain, mash, and mix in yogurt and butter. Season to taste. (You can also use the Instant Pot method which is quick and easy! That’s what I do.)
2. Make the veggies: In a large oven-safe pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until fragrant. Add mushrooms, carrots, and whole herbs (you will pull the herbs out later). Sauté until carrots are softened.
3. Make the gravy: Add tomato paste and flour to the pot and stir. Pour in the red wine (sizzzzle) and scrape all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Let the wine cook out for a minute or two. Slowly add the broth, stirring it in until a gravy starts to form. Season with salt. Simmer over low heat to get it thickened even further.
4. Bake: Remove the herbs. Stir in the peas, spread the mashed potatoes on top (brush with butter to be extra awesome), and bake for 15 minutes at 350. I finished mine on the broil setting for a few minutes to get it nice and brown on top.

Gluten Free Variation: Skip the flour and stir in about 3/4 cup mashed potatoes to the veggies and liquid to make a “gravy.” Easy. Tasty.

Vegan Version: Use olive oil in place of butter and non-dairy milk in place of the yogurt.

Meat Version: Add browned ground meat to the gravy mixture. Yummy!

Pro Texture Tip: I chopped up half of my mushrooms so there would be a better texture variety in the filling. If you don’t want to use red wine, just sub a little more liquid. No problem.

Serves 8

Calories Per Serving: 272

% DAILY VALUE

17%Total Fat 10.7g

6%Cholesterol 17.6mg

20%Sodium 481.9mg

12%Total Carbohydrate 35.6g

Sugars 8.1g

17%Protein 8.5g

31%Vitamin A 468.4µg

56%Vitamin C 33.6mg