Quinoa; Sweet Potato Fries and Wild Salmon

That's what we had for dinner tonight. There was a sale on wild Salmon and I've wanted to make this variation of sweet potato fries for a while now. I'm trying to perfect my skills at making quinoa. It shouldn't be that hard, but it is for me. And I don't didn't know what lime zest is (now I do, lol), so I messed up the dressing and had to rinse the quinoa again after I cooked it, but it all turned out okay. I seem to make things harder than they should be...

Anyway, here is the recipe for the quinoa and the fries:

Southwest Quinoa  (courtesy of Green Smoothie Girl)
(I made this for 6 people and should have cut the recipe in half, because it made a TON)

2 C quinoa (soak for a few minutes, then drain in a fine strainer)
4 C water
2 cans black beans (rinsed well)
4 med tomatoes, diced
8 green onions, chopped (including most the green part)
1 C hopped fresh cilantro

Dressing: (Whisk together)
1 heaping Tbsp. grated lime zest
1/4 C fresh lime juice
6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp maple syrup (the real kind)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Whisk together the dressing. Simmer the quinoa in water uncovered for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes. Strain any excess water. Add the quinoa to dressing and toss well, then stir in the remaining ingredients (beans, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro) Pour dressing on cooked quinoa and toss well; then add other ingredients. You can serve it hot or cold. 

Sweet Potato Fries (Courtesy of Green Smoothie Girl)

8 C sweet potatoes (about 3-4 potatoes) Peeled and chopped into sticks (We didn't peel ours)
1/4-1/2 C coconut oil
1 tsp. sea salt or lawry's


Heat oil on medium-high in a large skillet; add sweet potatoes and saute several minutes, stirring frequently with a spatula until tender. Sprinkle with salt and serve. 

My 7 and 8 year old ate everything on their plate, but especially LOVED the sweet potato fries...It was very satisfying to me that my hard work paid off! Now if we could just start working on my 4 year old...She seems to be my pickiest eater so far and it drives me crazy sometimes. I try to make it a huge deal when she finally tries something new and different. I think I'm making progress??