Roasted Beet & Carrot Salad with Lentils, Kale, and Goat Cheese

So I have a recipe for you guys...

But first I want to share my breakfast with you. It made me so happy - I was actually excited to go to bed just so that I could wake up and make this.

French Toast: with almond butter, cinnamon, nutmeg. seared strawberries, and chia. 

I used my french press for the first time which was quite exciting. And broke out the fall linnens. (I say it as plural but I only really have one.)

So back to the beets...

I almost gagged the first time I ate a roasted beet. It had the texture of a strange undercooked potato, and a flavor that I can only describe as earthy. The experience happend about a year ago. 

A few months back, I tried beet juice (mixed with a plethora of other vegetables and fruits) and was really digging the beet flavor. Perhaps it reminded my taste buds of Chocolate Orange Beet Cake?

What ever the reason, when I went to the farmer's market last Thursday I was on a mission for beets. I really didn't know what I wanted to do with them prior to actually purchasing them, but once they were in my canvas Birkenstock bag my imagination started rolling. It sounded something like this:

You've got 6 beets. Awesome. What do you already have? Goat cheese - I totally forgot I bought that. Half a red onion? That could be good. Kale for a buck? Okay now I've got kale. What about some carbs? Lentils, I really need to use those up. This is sounding like a salad - dressing? Olive oil. Balsamic? Honey? Honey. Grains, veggies, protein, fat = meal completion. Done.

The details:

Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad with Lentils, Kale, & Goat Cheese

This is a really simple salad to prepare that has endless variations. Go with whatever you have that's in season, what looks good at the market, or whatever vegetables you are in the mood for. This salad keeps really well, just add honey, cheese, and walnuts before serving.  

Serves 2 or 3 as a Main

• 3 - 6 medium beets, peeled and cut into bit size chunks
• 3 carrots, cut into 2" long slices
• 2 cups peeled and cubed sweet potato (or other sweet winter squash)
• 1/2 thickly sliced red onion
• 1 cup dried green lentils
• 11/2 cup vegetable broth (or water or a blend of the two) 
• 2 handfulls of chopped, washed dinosaur kale
• goat cheese and toasted walnuts
• balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and honey
• salt and paper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a pan with foil. Toss carrots, beets, squash, and onion with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Spread onto prepared pan and roast for 40 minutes to 1 hour (until tender).

2. Meanwhile, as the vegetables roast, rinse lentils and put them into a sauce pan of significant depth. Add broth and bring lentils to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until done, about 30 minutes.

3. Before all the lentil liquid is gone, add the kale, cover and steam until done. 

4. To serve, spoon lentil kale mixture onto plate followed by roasted vegetables. Drizzle honey over top (I think more olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top would be a good alternative). Top with a good amount of goat cheese and a sprinkle of toasted walnuts. Enjoy!