I asked a friend today how she was doing at her work as a nurse. She mentioned that the nurses were joking about people complaining about having to amuse themselves while practicing social distancing and staying home. The punchline is that those nurses would love to be home with their families instead of on the front line of who-knows-what is coming down the line. We owe them much gratitude.
It made me think about how important it is for all of us to have compassion and empathy for what others are going through at this challenging time. I thank the cashiers at the grocery store every time I check out. I can’t imagine what a difficult job that must be right now – dealing with anxious customers while feeling frightened that you may get sick from one of those people passing through. Today my son called with fear in his voice over concerns that his father or me may contract the Covid-19 virus and then he and his girlfriend sent me a hilarious video of themselves working out in their apartment in the South of France. We are all dealing with this situation as best as we know how.
The bottom line is that we all need to be gentle with each other. This is hard, and it isn’t going to get much easier too soon. Lead with love and kindness – we will all get through this together.
Keeping our bodies strong and healthy is so important now. Getting a some exercise each day will sooth our nerves and eating a sound diet may help our immune systems fend off illness.
Arugula, Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad
This is a nutrient dense salad made with spicy arugula, sweet potato, quinoa (a complete vegan protein), and dried cranberries. I like to serve it on individual plates but you can also toss all of the ingredients into a large bowl and serve it family style.
- 4 cups arugula
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 ½ cups sweet potato, diced small
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat broiler
- Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Place sweet potatoes on the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle the olive oil over the potatoes and toss.
- Season with a little salt and pepper and then place pan under broiler.
- Roast the potatoes until they have just a little bit of browning 5-7 minutes.
- Give the potatoes a stir and put them back under the broiler for another 2-3 minutes or so.
- Remove from oven and cool.
- Arrange the arugula on four plates.
- Spoon ¼ cup of quinoa on to greens.
- Scatter the sweet potatoes and cranberries on the salad.
- Dress with vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper.
- ½ Olive oil
- ¼ Balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Place mustard and honey in a bowl and mix until combined.
- Add the olive oil and vinegar and whisk.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Be healthy and safe.