The first day of the Deliciously Ella 14 Day Challenge is here! I am kicking off the challenge by reviewing the Warm Sweet Potato, Mushroom and Spinach Salad. I picked this to be the first recipe I will review as like I said in my previous post, I like to make a hearty meal on Sundays that can last several days. I quite like roasting sweet potato, and thought it would be warming but also satisfying on a spring sunny day. Let’s see how Deliciously Ella fairs this first time 🙂
To remind you of how I review recipes, I have eight basic criteria, which are rated from one star to five stars.
- Ingredients – how many ingredients are involved and are they easy or hard to find? Does it cater to many diets?
- Preparation – how is the preparation process? Are all the steps required stated in the recipe?
- Cost – how expensive are the ingredients and are they able to be purchased locally?
- Time – how long does it take to prepare and make the recipe?
- Appearance – what is the overall appearance of the finished product (as it’s made, and a few days later as leftovers)
- Taste and Texture – probably the most important – how does it taste?! Is the texture palatable? Is it a taste that many taste buds would enjoy?
- Satiety Level – how filling is the recipe? If it is a meal, will it keep me satisfied for a few hours? If it is a snack, is it light enough to tie me down until my next meal without overfilling my stomach?
- Longevity – how long does it laste after it is prepared? Can it work as leftovers?
I find these criteria to be the most effective to understand overall how the recipe compares to other recipes I try during the challenge. My goal with this blog is really to take a critical eye at food recipes, from someone who is not affiliated or paid to test the recipes. I also have intermediate culinary skills, a single budget and a busy schedule like many other individuals in the world. So it is nice to see if an ‘average joe’ can make it, and what they think about it. I also have a foodie taste palette, so I can say with some confidence that I have had experience in the world of healthy cuisine.
With all that being explained, let us take a look now at the first recipe of the Deliciously Ella 14 Day challenge!
It is photographed here with kale – however when I first tested it I used spinach.
Ingredients = 5 stars
There were ten ingredients in this recipe, which is in my opinion a great amount as you aren’t traveling to many grocery stores to get the ingredients. It caters to many diets as this recipe is gluten free, nut free, vegan and refined sugar free.
- Preparation = 5 stars
Again, I give this category five stars, as it took little time to prepare, especially if you roast the sweet potatoes on prep day. All the steps are clearly laid out in the recipe.
- Cost = 4.5 stars
The only reason I did not give this five stars is that depending on the time of year, it may be difficult to find cherry tomatoes and chestnut mushrooms.
- Time – 5 stars
This took very little time to prepare and make the recipe, a great quick meal!
- Appearance – 4 stars
I liked the abundance of colours in this recipe – it is great for spring. I don’t find that steamed spinach keeps well though and tends to look brown and lackluster over time.
- Taste and Texture – 3.5 stars
The taste was okay – nothing to wow about to be honest. The sweet potatoes were nice, with a great amount of flavor, however I don’t think I liked the texture comparison with the sweet potato, mushrooms and the wilted spinach. I didn’t find enough crunch to the salad. I also didn’t care for the dressing on it, it was way too mild for such a simple recipe.
- Satiety Level – 3.5 stars
Again, not particularly impressed by how full I was after this meal. When looking at the nutritional content – there is only 179 calories for the meal, with very little fats or fibre to carry you through to the next meal.
- Longevity – 4 stars
I anticipate this recipe lasting for a few days, again the wilted spinach and mushrooms may be the only things that don’t keep very well, however they are easy to remake the following day.
Has anyone else made this Deliciously Ella recipe? If so, please comment! I would be interested to see what you think.
