Preparing the sweet potatoes and dry roasting the cashews requires a little preparation, but it makes this satisfying salad colorful, delicious and memorable. Red onion, fresh ripe avocado and raw spinach make it beam right out of your salad bowl. The straight up tahini dressing takes no time at all.

• 1 medium size garnet yam (aka sweet potato) or purple Japanese sweet potato boiled or roasted
• 1 avocado diced
• a sliver of red onion diced
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped spinach
• drizzle of tahini
• sprinkle of unsalted freshly dry roasted cashews

Combine sweet potatoes, avocado, onion and spinach in a bowl. Drizzle with tahini. Garnish with cashews.

I bake or boil a few sweet potatoes on Sundays so we can add them to meals throughout the week. They add a lot, and they are great vegan whole food snacks for kids.

If you are making this for a child, put the raw red onions on the side unless you know they like them.