There are a few special ingredients that can instantly upgrade the culinary experience. Items such as cooking with butter, a dash of fresh garlic, or fresh bacon added into an otherwise ordinary dish. All of these are simple ways to improve a wide variety of mealtimes, and separate the Pro’s from the Joe’s.

Honey can be one of those special ingredients that upgrades anything it touches, even a salad mix. And while we embrace the taste of spinach because we know it is good for the heart, we drape it in honey to make it good for the soul. In doing so, we say thanks to the worker bees for their contribution to the world. We should all have the satisfaction of knowing our work is contributing to something good, right? I think the bees have it figured out.

So embrace a little bit of the golden nectar any way you can, including on top of some spinach and fruit. Enjoy this salad anytime the flowers are making you sneeze.

Let’s get supper on the table.

Grocery List	Recipe Quantity (Per Salad)
1 Box of Lettuce – Spinach Mix	1 Full bowl of Salad
1 Ripe Avocado	Sliced in half and chunked
1 Carton of Blueberries	1 Handful of Blueberries
1 Sweet Potato	1/2 Diced into 1/4″ cubes
1 Carton of Cherry Tomatoes	A few tomatoes sliced in half
1 Container of Feta Cheese	1/4 cup or less – to taste
Dressing – 1 Bottle of White Vinegar	1 Teaspoon
Dressing – 1 Jar of Honey	2 Tablespoons
Dressing – 1 Jar of Dijon Mustard	1 Tablespoons
Dressing – 1 Lemon	Cut in half and squeezed
Dressing – Olive Oil	1/4 Cup
Salt and Thyme	A few shakes of each
2 Bottles of Water	1-2 Cups of Ice Water

COMMANDMENTS

CAST IRON COMMANDMENTS  https://castironsoul.com/cast-iron-cooking-ethos/

Commandment #3 – Be adaptable – stovetop, oven, grill, or open flame.

Commandment #7 – Respect seasonality. 

Cookware: 3.6 Qt enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven

I was given this enameled Dutch Oven as a gift one year, and it quickly became one of my favorite pieces of cookware. I love using this to cook dinner for my family because the size works really for 3-5 people. So I’ll cook light soup in the spring, vegetables in the summer, and heavier soups and chilis in the winter using the enameled Dutch Oven. Honestly, hardly a week goes by where I don’t use it in some way. The enameled coating is virtually always non-stick, and makes sure that the more liquid based dishes hold their flavor. I can’t say enough about it, a truly highly recommended piece of cookware.

*You can use any piece of cast iron cookware for this recipe. I prefer the enameled product whenever I don’t want to over crisp.

HOLD MY BEER – PREPARATION

Turn the oven on to 400°F. Drizzle 2 TBS of olive oil into the Dutch Oven/Skillet and place in the oven to warm up.

While oven warms up, slice the potatoes into 1/4″ cubes. Set aside on a cutting board for later.

Split the avocado and remove the core. Cut both sides with a butterknife down the middle and then horizontally in strips to create the “chunks”.

Take 4 or 5 cherry tomatoes and slice them in half. Set aside on the cutting board for later.

Pour yourself a tall glass of ice water.

LIGHT THIS CANDLE- START COOKIN’

Remove the Dutch Oven from the oven using hot pads. Place the potatoes in and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle another 1 TBS of olive oil onto the potatoes to make sure they don’t overcook. Stir around to distribute the seasonings evenly.

Once the oven is hot, place the Dutch Oven in WITHOUT THE LID to cook the potatoes. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until soft to a fork. Once cooked through, remove everything from the oven and let cool.

While the potatoes are in the oven, make the vinaigrette in the following order, stirring between each step:

• Honey – 2TBS
• Lemon Juice – 1 Lemon Cut in half and squeezed
• Vinegar – 1 TSP
• Dijon Mustard – 1 TBS
• Olive Oil – 1/4 Cup
• Salt and Thyme – A few shakes each

The final result should be a yellow mixture with a smooth texture. Everything is evenly distributed and able to pour out smoothly.

Once the potatoes are cooled, build the salad in the following order

• Greens Mix as a base layer
• Blueberries
• Avocado Chunks
• Sweet Potatoes
• Cherry Tomato Slices
• Feta Cheese
• Honey Vinaigrette (to preferred taste)

Take a step back to admire your masterpiece. Send a photo to your doctor and tell them you’re making some changes. Congratulations, you just got healthier.

SWEET POTATO AND HONEY SALAD

Serves 1-2 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes

1. Turn the oven on to 400°F.
2. Drizzle 2 TBS of olive oil into the Dutch Oven/Skillet and place in the oven to warm up.
3. Slice the potatoes into 1/4″ cubes and set aside on a cutting board for later.
4. Split the avocado and remove the core. Cut both sides with a butterknife down the middle and then horizontally in strips to create the “chunks”.
5. Cut 4-5 cherry tomatoes in half and set aside.
6. Pour yourself a tall glass of water.
7. Remove the Dutch Oven from the oven and place the potatoes in. Season with salt, pepper, and 1TBS of olive oil. Stir around to distribute the seasonings evenly.
8. Once the oven is hot, place the Dutch Oven in WITHOUT THE LID to cook the potatoes. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until soft to a fork. Once cooked through, remove everything from the oven and let cool.
9. While the potatoes are in the oven, make the vinaigrette in the following order, stirring between each step until you get a consistent yellow vinaigrette.
   • Honey – 2TBS
   • Lemon Juice – 1 Lemon Cut in half and squeezed
   • Vinegar – 1 TSP
   • Dijon Mustard – 1 TBS
   • Olive Oil – 1/4 Cup
   • Salt and Thyme – A few shakes each
10. Build the salad in the following order
    • Greens Mix as a base layer
    • Blueberries
    • Avocado Chunks
    • Sweet Potatoes
    • Cherry Tomato Slices
    • Feta Cheese
    • Honey Vinaigrette (to preferred taste)
11. Admire your creativity and enjoy your bowl of health goodness.