mangoDATE

it's like a "date" with a mango...on your plate! :O  

mangos, love em' & it's mango season somewhere... 

i am particularly fond of the champagne mango, just like the little yellow gem pictured below...but any ole' mango will do.  (country love song about mangos.)

this salad is sweet, savory & it won't leave you hungry!   

one thing i have learned with rob, is that if i am going to serve salad for dinner...then it better be filling!  not because he will bark about it, or anything, but if the salad is not filling... 20 minutes after dinner he'll be rummaging through the refrigerator, looking for dinner #2.  (choices may include, but are not limited too: ice cream, sugar cereal, meat &/or cheese) 

& really, i want it to be filling too!  i want to feel satisfied, nourished & content when i'm done eating...otherwise, i too, will have my head in the refrigerator 20 minutes later!   however, i'll be looking for dark chocolate, dark chocolate & dark chocolate!

ingredients.

butter lettuce or spinach works too

mango

avocado

sweet potato

beets

quinoa or brown rice

dates

cashews

cracked pepper

vidalia onion and cilantro dressing (i used cindy's kitchen found at WholeFoods)

grilled chicken if desired.

directions.

heat oven to 350 & slice sweet potato 1/4"thick or less slices.  place the sweet potatoes slices onto oven safe parchment paper on cookie sheet.  add crushed black pepper to taste.  we like 'em peppery!  place in oven and bake until they start to get golden brown, moving them around & flipping them during this time helps too.  the amount of time really depends on how you slice them (thick or thin) and how you like them cooked.  we like ours a little thicker, but crispy around the edges...so i leave them in for about 25-30 minutes.

(rob) grills the chicken breasts if, he's having chicken.

prepare the quinoa or the brown rice according to the directions.  

prepare the beets by boiling them in water until tender, run under cold water, peel & slice.  or you could use a preservative free already prepared or marinated beet.  i am currently really loving, or slightly addicted, to these little baby beets by LoveBeets, this salad is great with their "sweet fire" infused beets...again found at WholeFoods.

peal mango & avocado, then slice, along with the dates.

next,  place all of the ingredients on a plate however you choose!

notes.

*the sweet potatoes do not need any olive oil, they cook up nicely without.  just make sure you are using the oven safe parchment paper, so that you don't have any "sticking issues".  also, the potatoes prepared are an amazing addition to other meals, we love them & eat them weekly with something or other!  yummy as a snack too.

*if you are unable to find the dressing i suggested, a good preservative free, poppyseed dressing would be lovely too!  or heck, get crazy & experiment with your own selection, or you could even make your own.  (personally, i save that sort of thing for weekends when i have more time)

*i really like the tangy/acidity that a marinated beet adds to the salad.  a fresh cooked beet tastes amazing too, but it will be more earthy...however,  equally good!

*i didn't add amounts above, as this salad could be adapted for side salads, or for a large group.  i did however, use the following amounts for rob & i to each enjoy one large dinner size salad.

1 head of butter lettuce

1-11/2 small mango

1 avocado

1 large sweet potato

1 large fresh beet or 3 small marinated beets

3/4 cup rice or quinoa

3 dates

some cashews 

cracked pepper to taste on the sweet potatoes

dressing to taste.

& enjoy! e.