Meatless Monday - Assortment of Vegetables

We went to the farmer's market on Saturday and picked up some fantastic vegetables.  We picked up an assortment of beets, swiss chard, and heirloom carrots.  From our garden came green beans and 1 beet.  We decided to cook all the vegetables and go one night with no meat.

I tried for the first time to roast the beets in the oven.  After 45 minutes they were still hard, even with the oven at 350 degrees and I knew that there was no way they would be done anytime soon.  So I had to go the regular route of boiling them to cook them.

Cooked Beets
Clean beets really good, cut off the stems (save some to add to the chard) and place them in a pot of water.  Boil until the beets are tender (you can poke them with a fork).  Remove from water and using a paper towel (careful they are hot) rub the outside of the beets to remove the skin.  The skin should just slide right off.  Slice beets and serve.

Sauteed Swiss Chard
Clean leaves really well to remove any sand and dirt.  If your leaves have wilted somewhat, bring them back to life by placing them in a bowl with ice water.  Let it sit for several minutes and drain.  The leaves will no longer be limp (you can do the same with lettuce).  Remove the stalk by cutting them out and chop leaves into large pieces.  In a skillet, place some olive oil and one minced clove of garlic.  Cook garlic until fragrant.  Add the chard and toss.  Cook until slightly wilted.  Continue to cook until they have reached the right texture.

Steamed Sauteed Green Beans with Walnuts
Steam green beans in a steamer and cook until just tender.  In a large skillet add some olive oil and add a handful of chopped walnuts.  Stir walnuts so that they warm, don't let them burn.  Add green beans and toss until well coated.

Roasted Carrots
(Since I originally tried to roast the beets, I had the oven on and roasted these along side them)
In a foil pouch add washed carrots, drizzle with olive oil and add some fresh chopped dill.  Place on cookie sheet and cook in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 45 minutes.

Serve all of these vegetables with a fresh avocado and some fresh cut mango.