Kale-topped sweet potato

Backpacking to Box Lake near McCall, Idaho

Misha recovering from backpacking trip

My recovery food: kale-topped sweet potato

Beets and sweets; another favorite

September has provided such unbelievable weather where I live. We had to take advantage of the warm days and cooler nights to plan and take another backpacking trip. We made an overnight trek to Box Lake near McCall, Idaho, about a three-hour drive from where we live.

 It was absolutely perfect (well, except for the 1,800-feet elevation gain in 2.7 miles). There were no bugs; the lake and sky were crystal clear; and the temperature was in the 70s.

We're all nursing some sore legs after climbing and then descending the steep trail on the return. Misha, our Malamute-Husky, accompanied us and had another great adventure. He dug in the wet sand along the lake beach; chewed on all the pine cones he could find; and dove in the water again and again.

Now, he is tired as you can see in the picture above. He managed to find enough energy to hop up on the bed, where he is not supposed to be. I didn't have the heart to chase him off.

As for me, I am craving my favorite sweet potato dishes. One is kale-topped sweet potato which is oh, so easy to prepare. Simple-to-prepare dishes are my cup of tea.

Kale-topped Sweet Potato

Ingredients:

1. 1 baked sweet potato
2. 2 cups chopped kale
3. 1 diced zucchini
4. salt and pepper to taste
5. 1-2 tsp. olive oil
6. optional: 2 garlic cloves minced
7. lime-sunbutter dressing (2 T. sunbutter, 1/4 cup water, juice of one lime, 1 tsp. sesame seed oil, 1 T. sunflower seeds, dash of stevia)

Directions:

1. Saute the kale and zucchini in olive oil with the optional minced garlic cloves added if desired. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Whirl up lime-sunbutter dressing in your food processor.
3. To assemble, top sweet potato with kale mixture and finish with a dollop of lime-sunbutter dressing.

Check out some more healthy recipes at: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/09/29/wellness-weekend-september-29-october-3-2011/