Apple & Sweet Potato Salad

When I asked for salad suggestions in a blog post a little while back, one of the comments I got was a really awesome super-surprise comment! A few years back, my dad was in Boston for a conference. While there, he had this amazing apple-sweet potato-avocado sandwich at a cafe that he absolutely loved. When he got home, he told me all about it - with a wistful sense of "I'll never have that magical sandwich again."

So! I went straight to the underground network of veganhood: the PPK. I asked if there was anyone in Boston who could go to the cafe where said sandwich was sold, and tell me more details about it - so that I could make it for my dad. My PPK pal "Paperweight," did just that! She was really amazing. She took pictures and sent them to me. She told me about each part of the sandwich - how much avocado was there, how thick were the apple slices and so on. It was awesome, and I made the sandwich for my dad, and it was great. Also, it turns out, Paperweight fell in love with that sandwich herself.

Eventually, she moved away, and had to figure out how to make the sandwich for herself. Then, as she told me in her comment, eventually she had the idea to take the ingredients of the sandwich and convert them into a salad (genius move!) It was a great blast-from-the-past to get a comment from her - and to be reminded of that great flavor combo! I took her suggestion, and the resulting salad was truly delicious. Mr. VE&T and I both *totally* loved it. The sharpness of the shallot dressing with the sweetness of the yams & apples, and the creaminess of the avocado all combine into a really great salad experience. And, it's surprisingly filling too.

As Mr. VE&T noted, "This would be good with croutons." (uh, isn't everything good with croutons?) But, he's right, it would be. Or, Paperweight suggested also adding some quinoa, which would be really good too. Maybe next time!

Sweet Potato & Apple Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

Salad:
6.5 oz yams ( 2 smallish yams)
4.5 oz lettuce (mixed greens)
4 oz Sunflower sprouts (I'm sure any sprouts would be good)
3.5 oz avocado (1/2 an avocado) - cubed 
8 oz apple (1 big apple)

Dressing:
4 oz shallots
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp Agave Nectar
.25 - .5 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Roast the yams:
Oven 375 F. Peel yams, cut into 3/4- inch cubes. Spray lightly with cooking oil. Roast about 45 min until tender. 

Make the dressing: 
Peel the shallots, slice into paper thin slices. Put in a jar with a lid. Add the vinegar, olive oil, agave, salt and pepper. Put on lid, shake it up. Let it sit for a while to soften the intensity of the r shallots. Shake it whenever you pass by. 

Make the salad: 
Quarter and core the apple. Slice each quarter-apple into 1/8-inch thick pieces. Put lettuce in bowl. Add sprouts. Add roasted yam cubes. Add apple slices. Add cubed avocado. Add dressing. Toss and eat!