This colorful side dish comes alive with orange flavor 



  • 1½ lb small beets, leaves trimmed, peeled and cut into four chunks
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 orange, rinsed (for peel and juice)
  • ½ tsp anise seeds (optional)



  1. Preheat oven to 450 °F. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. 
  2. In a medium bowl, toss the beets with the olive oil until well coated. 
  3. Spread beets on baking sheet in a single layer.
  4. Bake 30–40 minutes. When done, beets should be easily pierced with a sharp knife.
  5. While beets bake, grate the zest from the orange. Place in a small bowl. Cut the orange in half. Squeeze the juice (about ½ cup) into the bowl with the orange zest. (Use a large spoon to press the inside of the orange to extract more juice.) Add anise seeds (optional). Set aside. 
  6. When the beets are tender, return them to the tossing bowl. Pour the juice mixture over the beets. Mix well to coat, and serve.