Virtual Vegan Potluck: Roasted Beet Quinoa salad with Cranberry Sweet Potato Chutney

Ingredients

for the chutney:
• 2 c. fresh/frozen whole cranberries
• 1 c. apple cider | apple juice will also work, but not as cool
• 1/2 c. coconut sugar | sucanat or raw cane also works
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
• zest & juice of one small lemon
for the salad:
• 3 beets
• 3 carrots
• 2 TBS. olive oil
• 4 c. cooked quinoa (I used red, but regular quinoa works too)
• 12 c. raw spinach
• 1/2 c. pumpkin seeds, coarsely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Peel & cube beets, carrots, & sweet potatoes. I use a vegetable cutter that cuts my veggies in uniform pieces. A regular knife will do the trick, but do your best to keep pieces uniform & smallish.
3. You'll need two baking sheets--one for the sweet potatoes, the other for the beets & carrots. Place sweet potatoes on sheet, drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil & toss until coated. On the other baking sheet, place the beets on one end, & carrots on the other. Drizzle 1/2 TBS. on carrots, 1/2 TBS. on beets. Toss, but keep beets & carrots separate. Put both sheets in oven & roast for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through. Watch your sweet potatoes--you may need to remove them somewhere between the 22-30 minute mark.
4. Cook your quinoa according to package directions (2 c. dry + 4 c. water should yield about 4 c. cooked). Set aside.

5. In a medium saucepan, bring cranberries, sugar, & apple cider to a boil. Turn down heat to medium low & allow to simmer for 15 minutes or so (or until most of liquid has simmered down & sauce is thick).
6. In the meantime, grate your ginger, zest & juice your lemon. The lemon juice will make the chutney a bit more zippy (ie. a little sour). Reserve the lemon juice until the very end & taste the chutney before you add the juice. If you like the chutney without the lemon, don't add it. I find it a matter of preference, but I always like a bit more acid to my dishes than many people.

7. Once veggies are roasted, remove from oven & allow to cool 5-10 minutes.
8. Remove cranberry sauce from heat once the desired thickness is reached (the longer you simmer, the thicker your sauce, but remember it'll thicken even more once it cools).
9. Add sweet potatoes, ginger, & zest to sauce. Add lemon juice if desired.
10. In a large bowl, layer spinach, quinoa, beets & carrots. Top with pumpkin seeds. Toss gently.
11. Serve chutney on the side or incorporate in salad. Drizzle with a bit of flax seed or olive oil if desired.

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