aesthetically, not the most appealing dish in the book, but flavorfully, it's a mic-drop moment. but hey, that's just a part of cooking. sometimes, the not-so-photogenic meals taste the best, so never apologize for a dish that's just having a bad maybelline moment.

these baby beets don't need the skin removed. I repeat. you can keep the skin on with these wee lil' beets. obviously if you prefer the skin removed, by all means, scrub those little guys once roasted and end up looking like a scene out of american horror story with the deep red tint all over your fingers.

this is a fast, easy recipe that packs a punch with all sorts of flavors. did I mention you probably already have all the ingredients in your kitchen? sweet beets contrast the peppery chard and all come together as one happy family with the lemon and goat cheese. save the chard leaves for a spinach/kale-like dish for another day, you're officially a stalker with this dish. oh yeah.

here's what you need

two bunches of baby beets, washed and stems trimmed
two bunches of rainbow chard, washed and leaves trimmed (you're only using them for their stalks)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. chili flakes
1 tsp. salt & pepper
juice of 1 lemon, plus zest if desired
crumbled goat cheese, to taste for garnish

here's how to do it

make sure your veggies are washed thoroughly and trimmed. Preheat your oven to 400 and spread out beets and chard stalks onto a baking sheet. sprinkle chili flakes, salt and pepper and toss with olive oil to coat. roast until stalks are slightly charred and beets are soft, about 20 minutes (depending on your oven these can cook faster than you think, so be sure to check on them!)