Simple Roast Veg

… with kale and tahini garlic dressing.

This is a really simple dinner I sometimes throw together, made a bit more special today with potatoes and kale from the garden. Perfect for a rainy day.

I cleared out some of big the shrubs in my garden earlier this year to make space for growing more veg and the first thing I put in were potatoes. They are just the most joyous of vegetables to harvest because you don’t know how they’re doing until it’s time to dig them up. It’s very exciting as you’re searching underground and suddenly out pops a lovely spud and another and another. I’m told they also help turn over the soil in a new bed. I got started very late with the planting this year but was lucky to have a couple of courgette plants given to me by a neighbour, then I also bought a few small veg plants which went straight into the ground kale, spinach, and a couple of squashes. There really is nothing like eating food from the garden!

The potato often gets very bad press as it is very often consumed in an unhealthy way, deep fried or lathered in butter and cheese. It is also part of the nightshade family of plants which may have a negative effect on people suffering from autoimmune conditions such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankilosing Spondilitis or Psoriasis.

I myself try to avoid the nightshade family of veg which includes tomatoes, peppers and aubergines especially during any RA flare ups but as I’m currently feeling super well and healthy and seeing that these beauties have been dug out of my garden I’m indulging. When baked or steamed, the humble potato is actually a very good source of vitamin B6, B3 and B5 important vitamins involved in energy production, a good source of potassium, vitamin C, manganese, phosphorus and dietary fiber. Potatoes also contain alpha-lipoic acid, a compound which helps the body convert glucose into energy.

Kale on the other hand is getting all the limelight, and so it should because it truly is an incredible food and so easy to grow! Even if you just have a small outdoor space you should be able to grow this very hardy leafy vegetable. Kale is one of the most nutrient rich vegetable around, containing vitamin A, C, K and B6, B1 and B3, calcium, magnesium, copper and potassium, iron and phosphorus.

The vitamin A is derived from beta-carotenes which is very important for our eye health. Beta-carotenes are usually known to us as the orange colour in fruit and veg, but in the case of kale it is masked by kale’s rich chlorophyll content. Among it’s many health benefits, Chlorophyll is a potent antioxidant, promotes the body’s healing and helps cleanse and detox the body of toxic heavy metals.

Recipe: Roast Vegetable and Kale

Ingredients for the roast:

7-8 medium potatoes – with skins on 1 medium red onion 2 small sweet potatos 1 large beetroot 1/2 small butternut squash 3 cloves garlic 1 tbsp coconut oil

{I used odourless coconut oil to not overpower the veggies with coconut flavour} rosemary pinch himalayan salt / sea salt

Bunch of Kale

Ingredients for the dressing:

1 tbsp raw tahini (use less if not raw as it has a stronger flavour) 2 tbsp hemp seeds 1 clove of garlic juice of 1/2 lemon sea salt to taste 1 tbsp Olive Oil 1 tbsp water

Instructions:

Wash and chop all the veg and place in an oven dish. Add the coconut oil, rosemary, garlic cloves and season with salt. Roast in a preheated oven for approx 30min at 180 degrees Celsius until soft and lightly browned.

While the veg are roasting prepare the dressing by adding all the ingredients into a food processor. Add more water to achieve the desired consistency.

De-stem and chop the kale, then lightly steam for 2-3 min once the roasted veg are ready to take out of the oven.

Serve the roast veg with the kale and tahini dressing.