I will be the first one to admit that I’ve hated beets my entire life. I thought they tasted like dirt! My parents and grandparents always grew and pickled them, and I’ve tried them multiple times because, “Beets are so good for you.” Hmmm…. Fast forward thirty years to a photo shoot for Be Happy and Do Good where I wanted some pretty, purple and orange veggies. My parents, luckily, had some beets and carrots growing. I used the veggies for the pictures, but didn’t want to waste the food. (I come from a long line of thrifty Germans!) Since I love roasted vegetables and coconut oil, I decided to see what I could do with the beets (and carrots and kale) I picked from my parents’ garden. Voila! Coconut Oil Roasted Carrots, Beets, and Kale was born. It is now my favorite (and I believe only) way to enjoy beets! After forty years, who knew? 😉 The dark orange, ruby, and green on the vegetables is just a beautiful combination and makes me very, very happy!
Coconut Oil Roasted Carrots, Beets, and Kale Recipe…
First of all, can we just enjoy the beautiful colors of these fresh vegetables? The picture doesn’t really do them justice! So vivid! It’s definitely eating the rainbow, which is a GREAT thing for vitamins and minerals! 🙂
Now, one of the first items that needs to be taken care of when it comes to garden veggies is dirt removal. Carrots and beets grow underground…they are VERY dirty! 🙂 Washing and peeling with a vegetable peeler helps to take care of that problem nicely. The kale, especially when it’s homegrown, has a tendency to attract little green worms. (If you grow broccoli, they’re the same little boogers!) I don’t want to eat them, so I’m pretty careful when I wash the kale leaves to check on all sides. Even then, those little worms have sticky feet…double, triple, and quadruple check your kale!!! (Well, unless you want a little added protein…)
I also find that melting the coconut oil prior to adding the vegetables to the pan makes things easier. You can melt it in the microwave or simply place the baking pan into the oven for a couple of minutes (if you don’t want to dirty more dishes). Tongs will be your best friend when it comes to tossing everything together, so find your favorite set. Then, just sit back and let those veggies bake! Every ten minutes be sure to check on things, giving everything a good toss to make sure the coconut oil coats the veggies nicely.
My favorite part of Coconut Oil Roasted Carrots, Beets, and Kale is the sweetness the roasting adds to these average vegetables. I LOVE how the kale gets crunchy! I bake the carrots and beets until they test crisp-tender with a fork. (Fork easily goes into veggies, but they aren’t mushy.)
Coconut Oil Roasted Carrots, Beets, & Kale
Notes
Be sure to clean all the veggies well! If the kale is homegrown, be sure to check for small, green worms! Also be sure to stir the vegetables every ten minutes and check for doneness (should be crisp-tender) at 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 3-4 large beets, washed, peeled, and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 3-4 large carrots, washed, peeled, and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 5-6 cups kale, washed, stems removed, chopped roughly
- 4-5 T. coconut oil, melted
- sea salt, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Place coconut oil in 9x13 pan and set aside.
- Prepare vegetables. Place in 9x13 pan, tossing vegetables until well coated with coconut oil.
- Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until desired doneness. Be sure to stir vegetables every 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle on sea salt, if desired.
