Try as I may, I’m not always mindful of what I eat.
In my ideal world, my diet is solely plant-based; eat an abundance of varied fresh fruits and vegetables, drink tons of water, and eschew sugar and empty calories.
For extra health points, I’d do moderate exercise and sleep 8 hours every night; sounds easy enough and almost doable – sometimes the simplest things in life are the hardest to get right.

I love it when I can come up with nutritious meals, simple foods made special with simple every day ingredients.

Roasted potatoes, beets and kale; I wish I could eat food like this all the time.
It’s simple, fortifying, great for comfort, delicious and amazingly easy to make.
I use mini potatoes, which are cute and excellent for roasting.

The potatoes, along with beets and carrots are tossed in a dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fig butter – tangy with a subtle sweetness, with herbes de Provence and garlic powder.
I toss the kale and beans in towards the end, creating a nice substantial meal.

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Roasted Potatoes, Beets and Kale

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb mini potatoes (or regular potatoes cut into bite size chunks)
• 1 – 2 beets, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 – 3 carrots, cut into chunks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fig butter
• 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
• 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1 bunch kale, ribs removed and coarsely torn + 1 teaspoon olive oil + a pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons julienned sundried tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of cooked pinto beans

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F., and oil a foil lined baking sheet
2. Put potatoes, beets, and carrots in a bowl
3. Whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fig butter, herbes de Provence, garlic powder, and salt and pepper in a measuring cup or small bowl, mix well
4. Pour dressing over vegetables, and mix to coat
5. Place vegetables in a single layer on the baking sheet
6. Roast for 20 – 25 minutes until potatoes are cooked through
7. About 5 minutes before the vegetables are done, drizzle a bit of olive oil over kale and toss with a pinch of salt
8. Arrange kale over vegetables, and roast with vegetables for the remainder of the cooking time
9. Remove from oven, and mix in sundried tomatoes and pinto beans while still hot
10. Serve immediately and enjoy!

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