Roasted Vegetables with Rice and Relish

I made on this little dish Christmas as a light lunch after hours of nothing but sugary treats.

Seared asparagus, brown rice with cranberry relish, and roasted beets and carrots

Put carrots, beets, and any other vegetables you want roasted on a pan and rub them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook at around 400 for roughly an hour, or until you can easily poke a knife into them.

Cook brown rice (I prefer short grain) according to the package (usually about 45 minutes).

Heat a half inch or so of water in a cast iron skillet and add clean, young asparagus. Cook with a cover until you can stick a knife into them with little resistance. Pour the water out of the pan, drizzle olive oil on top and sear until nicely brown. Crack pepper and salt on them, and add good balsamic vinegar if you have it. 

Combine a few cups of cranberries with a whole orange, a few tablespoons of cane sugar (or honey), and a dash of cinnamon in a food processor. Mine is broken, so I chopped it all by hand, which was enjoyable because I had plenty of time but not recommended if you do not. Pulse or chop until the ingredients look like relish!

Enjoy this meal with some seared salmon or maybe a slow-cooked meat like rabbit or pork if you have some.