So I'm on a real kick with this salad lately, it's really easy to make, and it probably wont take you 40 minutes to make.

Ingredients: 1 Large sweet potato, 1 cup arugula, 2 tbsp green onion, 1 tsp olive oil, a dash of sea salt and ground pepper, dressing of choice. 

I start by peeling and chopping a sweet potato. I don't like my chunks too big because then it takes longer to cook. I warm a saucepan with a little bit of olive oil in it and toss 'em in. While that cooks (lid on at med-low heat) I wash some arugula and toss it in my favorite dressing (I buy a special dressing from a restaurant in Mesa called Moki's, it's a little sweet and creamy, so I don't need to use a lot). Don't forget to stir your sweet potatoes often so that they don't burn; if the heat is too high and they aren't stirred enough, they will taste charred and kind of gross. Something to keep in mind is that the more you leave the lid on, the fast it will cook as well due to the steam. When the sweet potatoes start to get tender, add some chopped green onion, whites and greens, but wait till the potatoes are almost done so that they don't wilt too much. Right before the potatoes are done, add some fresh ground pepper and sea salt for flavor. If the potatoes start to stick to the pan a lot, you can add more olive oil, just be careful because the calories can start to add up (stir frequently to avoid sticking). Let the potatoes cool for 10-15 minutes and toss them in with the arugula....and you're done! 

Mmmmmm, so good! AND HEALTHY! The sweet potatoes are packed with vitamins (as long as you don't over cook them) and you burn the same amount of calories by eating the arugula as are in it! 

TIP: Foods that have Vitamin A aka Beta-Carotene in it are processed better if heated slightly, if you over cook it, the food can lose nutrient value. 

I love this salad because it makes me feel fancy when I make it. I think it's sophistocated and you can impress your friends with it! If you try to make it, let me know what you think!

Keep it real,

Roo

This is technically the newest version of "40-Minute-Meals" but it takes less than 40 minutes...way less, so I didn't want to title it that. FLT is my version of a BLT but the 'F' stands for...

Figs are the superstar of this sandwich, but it's good for oh so many reasons. If you look closely at my picture, it does have some bacon in there, but the good thing is that this sandwich can take it or leave it. We just happened to have leftover jalapeño bacon so it was more out of being resourceful. I guess this should be called a BFLT, but that starts to sound like an acronym for a profanity. 

{Ingredients}

Whole wheat artisan bread (ours is from TJ's)

Goat cheese, mmmm

Arugula

Sliced tomato

Sliced, dried figs

Oil and vinegar dressing

{Directions}

It's pretty self explanatory, but here we go: 

1. Start by slicing your wheat bread and spreading the goat cheese on one side. 

2. Thinly slice your tomatoes and figs. 

3. Place them on the cheesy side of the sandwich. (I like to sauté the tomatoes quickly before putting them on the sandwich. 

4. If you choose to add meat you can put it on at this time as well and close your sandwich (my preferred meat of choice is a thin slice of prosciutto - YUM!) 

5. Let sauté on either side (I have a fancy panini pan that smooshes mine for me, but any pan will do. 

6. After toasted on both sides, pull top slice off again and add arugula and a very small amount of oil and vinegar, (less than a teaspoon). I like to make a vinaigrette with it and add a little sea salt and pepper to my homemade dressing.