Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash with Kale and Quinoa

Ever since the borscht kick of 2012, I've been trying to eat as many beets as possible. They're so good for you and taste like heaven. Earthy and sweet with the perfect texture. I drink beet juice, beet smoothies, eat beet salads... I love the things. Naturally since I've also been roasting anything and everything that can possibly be roasted, I roasted some beets. And added some squash. And then made an entire meal of it. It was great. The kind of meal that tastes great and leaves you feeling ready for the gym. Don't believe me? Try it out yourself.

What you'll need: (serves 4)
- 2 large beets
- 1/2 butternut squash
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 4 handfuls of baby kale
- 3 basil leaves
- a few sprigs of cilantro
- rosemary
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 or 3 cloves of garlic
- salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper

You will also need a large pan for the oven, a pot for the quinoa, and a skillet in which to sauté the greens.

First things first: if you didn't grow up in a mostly Italian home like I did, chances are that you don't have "garlic and olive oil" readily available. There are a few ways you can do this: one in the microwave and one on the stovetop. All you have to do is heat up the olive oil with the chopped garlic and add some crushed red pepper to taste. The flavors infuse the oil and it's perfect for cooking. I always have some in a coffee mug on the counter. It makes cooking a lot easier!

Next, start boiling the water for the quinoa and preheat the oven. The oven should be set to 400 degrees. Cut the veggies into bite-sized pieces. Drizzle a bit of garlic and olive oil over them and add salt and pepper. (Don't use all of the oil because we'll be using a lot of it later as well!) Lay rosemary on top and set aside until the oven is ready. When it's done preheating, place the pan in the oven and roast for 40 minutes.

Make the quinoa according to the directions, they're all slightly different. When it has about 5 minutes left to simmer, heat up the skillet for the greens. Drizzle some oil in the pan and add the kale. It cooks quickly so don't take your eyes off of it! You'll know when it's ready because it turns a darker green color and becomes wilted. Add the cilantro and basil and stir around the skillet once more before taking if off of the heat. By this time, the quinoa should be just about ready. Drizzle some garlic and olive oil in the pot, mix, and then remove from heat.

Serve by scooping some quinoa on to the plate, adding the greens, and then topping it off with some veggies. Enjoy!