Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad

1 lb red beets, scrubbed, peeled, and thinly sliced

1 lb yellow beets, scrubbed, peeled, and thinly sliced

6 medium carrots, thinly sliced

3 Tbsp olive oil

seas salt and pepper

3 Tbsp orange juice

1 1/2 tsp sherry vinegar

1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves

3 small Belgian endives, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch pieces

4 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled

1/3 c. chopped toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 450. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss beets and carrots with 1 1/2 Tbsp oil; season with salt a pepper. Roast until tender, 25-30 minutes, tossing halfway through. Let cool 5 minutes.

Meanwhile,in a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, vinegar, tarragon, and 1 1/2 tsp oil; season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss endives with half the dressing, then transfer to a serving platter. Toss beets and carrots with remaining dressing and add to platter. Top with goat cheese and pecans.

[EDIT: this recipe works much better if you blanch the beets and carrots ahead of time, otherwise they tend to dry out when they are roasted. Extra amazing if you grill the veggies. This is frequent friend request recipe. If you make it for Dad, replace the goat cheese with anything non-goat.]

Kale Chips

These are one of my favorite snacks. Great when you need something salty to snack on and a healthy alternative to chips. (They do make your house smell a little funky when you bake them, so helpful to burn a candle after.)

1 large bunch kale

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

Cut kale leaves into bite-sized pieces. Toss with olive oil and sea salt until leaves are evenly coated. Bake in 350 oven for 15-20 minutes or until leaves are crispy and edges are just beginning to brown. (These are one of my favs! Great salty snack and something I try to keep on hand.)

Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad

1 lb red beets, scrubbed, peeled, and thinly sliced

1 lb yellow beets, scrubbed, peeled, and thinly sliced

6 medium carrots, thinly sliced

3 Tbsp olive oil

seas salt and pepper

3 Tbsp orange juice

1 1/2 tsp sherry vinegar

1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves

3 small Belgian endives, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch pieces

4 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled

1/3 c. chopped toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 450. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss beets and carrots with 1 1/2 Tbsp oil; season with salt a pepper. Roast until tender, 25-30 minutes, tossing halfway through. Let cool 5 minutes.

Meanwhile,in a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, vinegar, tarragon, and 1 1/2 tsp oil; season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss endives with half the dressing, then transfer to a serving platter. Toss beets and carrots with remaining dressing and add to platter. Top with goat cheese and pecans.

Chinese Brussels Sprouts

1 lb Brussels sprouts

1 tsp sesame oil

2 green onions, sliced

1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

1 Tbsp Braggs

Trim Brusssels sprouts, then shred them finely using a large sharp knife or a food processor. Heat the oil and add the sprouts and onions. Stir fry for about 2 minutes without allowing the mixture to brown. Stir in the five-spice powder and Braggs, then cook, stirring, for another 2-3 minutes, until just tender.

Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

I found this recipe on recipezaar and have made it a few times now. It sounds more time consuming than it really is and don't be scared away by the eggs.

8 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 t. sea salt
pepper to taste
1/2 c. butter (I've used less and still have good results)
3/4 c. milk (use less milk if potatoes are small, maybe start with 1/2 c. and go from there)
1/2 c. sour cream
2 eggs

1 - In a large pan, boil potatoes until tender, 15-20 min.
2- Drain water, and add remaining ingredients.
3- Mash until smooth, with a potato masher. I've never before made mashed potatoes with a potato masher and was surprised at how fast it was. Don't use a mixer, they'll be gooey if you do.

Chicken Veggie Soup

Ingredients
2 White Chicken Breasts (cooked and shredded)
1 small Yellow Onion, finely diced
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 c. Carrots, mini carrots or chopped
1 c. Celery, chopped
1 Yellow Zucchini, sliced
1 Green Zucchini, sliced
3 c. Cabbage, shredded
4 Red Potatoes, diced (or 3 c. cooked brown rice)
6 c. Chicken Broth
2 Tbsp. Oregano
4 Basil Leaves
1 Tbsp. Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/8 c. Chives

Combine all ingredients in large stockpot and slow cook for several hours or until all vegetables are soft. Feel free to add whatever other garden veggies you have in surplus.

Serve warm.

For freezer: Remove from heat when vegetables are not quite cooked. Divide into smaller portions and store in freezer containers. I use toss-away tupperware or ziploc freezer bags. When you reheat the soup, the vegetables will finish cooking without becoming over saturated. I double the recipe when I make it to freeze. It's a great use of your fall garden vegetables and nothing hits the spot like warm soup during the cold winter.

Mediterranean Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs. Sweet Potatoes
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/2 c. Soymilk, unflavored
1 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon, ground
1/4 tsp. Ginger, ground
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg, ground

Preheat oven to 400. Clean sweet potatoes and pierce them in several places with a fork. Roast them in the oven for 50-60 minutes until very tender. Remove and allow to cool.

Reduce temperature to 375. Coat 1-quart baking dish with olive oil.

Scoop "meat" of potatoes out of skin. Mash in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Spoon entire mixture into the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes.

Serve warm. Great side dish for chicken recipes.

For a treat or an appetizer, you can scoop the mixture into individual pastry shells and bake.

Lemon Red Potatoes

Ingredients
10-20 small Red Potatoes
2 Tbsp. Chives
1 tsp. Nutmeg
1/4 c. Butter, melted
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Sea salt
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

Steam potatoes until soft. Mix remaining ingredients. Pour sauce over steamed potatoes.

Serve warm.

Super Spinach Smoothie (Blended Salad)

Ingredients
4 oz. Water
1 c. Red Grapes
4 c. Fresh Spinach Leaves
3/4 c. Frozen Berries

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Serve cold and drink immediately. Drink will separate if left standing.

Daily Nutrients
Total fiber 50%
Vitamin A 75%
Vitamin C 100%
Vitamin E 25%
Thiamin 20%
Riboflavin 30%
Folate 60%
Vitamin B6 30%
Calcium 17%
Phosphorus 15%
Iron 25%
Potassium 30%