The side dishes of today should bring variety and spice to our meals. Baked potatoes and rice are still great go-to’s. But with so many interesting new options, it’s time to get creative!

How about trying some different varieties of rice? Try fragrant basmati so tasty jazzed up with chili paste, fresh ginger, chopped roasted peanuts, and a sprinkle of scallions. Or try jasmine rice simply steamed with lemongrass, ginger and garlic.

Couscous is super-fast and easy to make, as is bulgur wheat. Add in fresh parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, dried fruits and some toasted nuts, then finished with a dash of ground coriander.

In the veggie category, glazed carrots and steamed asparagus are giving way to more complex dishes like Roasted Baby Eggplants with Spicy Peanut Soy Dressing, which I developed for Sunset – yes, please!

Photo by Kathy Casey Food Studios for Sunset Produce

Roasting root vegetables intensifies their sweetness. I love to pair Roasted Beets with an easy Orange Cumin Glaze. Now that’s not boring, right?

So get out of your side dish rut and try something new. You never know, you may invent the next beloved “green bean casserole.” –Kathy

Roasted Beets with Orange Cumin Glaze
You can prepare this recipe part way in advance: Just roast, peel and slice the beets ahead of time. This can be done up to 3 days in advance. Then finish the rest of the recipe procedure per instructions.

Makes about 6 servings.

5 large beets (about 2 lb.)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbsps butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1 Tbsp finely chopped orange zest
2 Tbsps chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Wash the beets and leave root untrimmed. Place beets on a large sheet of foil and seal like a package. Place foil packet on a baking pan and roast in preheated oven until very tender, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Poke beets to make sure they are tender.

As soon as beets are cool enough to handle, slip the skins off and slice into 1/4-inch slices.

In a small bowl mix together the orange juice, cumin, vinegar , honey and cornstarch. Stir until cornstarch is well incorporated.

Place liquid mixture in a large, non-stick sauté pan and heat over medium-high heat, whisking – while adding the  butter and salt. Bring to a boil and add the sliced beets. Cook, turning beets as necessary, until they are hot and nicely glazed. Place on a serving platter or in large, shallow bowl.

Mix together the walnuts, orange zest and parsley and sprinkle over the beets.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios® – www.KathyCasey.com