Orange You Glad I didn't Say Banana?

Oranges are special, they are America's favorite fruit. They are juicy and sweet and make the perfect snack. Oranges in our area are a winter fruit, but obviously you can purchase them year round. I guess we could just say they are more economical and sweeter in winter, but maybe they just taste sweeter because it's cold outside and our senses are heightened. Oranges are classified into two types--sweet and bitter. Popular sweet varieties include Valencia, Naval and Jaffa as well as blood orange which is aromatic and a deep red. Bitter oranges are often used to make jam or marmalade and their zest goes to liqueurs like Grand Marnier and Cointreau. Oranges are thousands of years old and they originated in Asia around southern China and Indonesia. Oranges then traveled down to India and became very popular with those in the Middle East and Europe in the 15th century. Oranges are depicted in the paintings of The Last Supper. Christopher Columbus brought orange seeds to the Caribbean Islands in the late 15th century. Oranges reached Florida and California by way of Spanish missionaries.

Oranges are full of fiber, folate, thiamin, potassium and calcium as well as antioxidants and we know the vitamin C levels are through the roof. Just one medium orange contains 116% of your daily value of vitamin C. We all go for orange juice, vitamin C tablets, and orange flavored teas when we think we're getting a cold. It's a comforting smell, flavor and for many of us it reminds us of our childhood. The oranges immune supporting antioxidants help to remove free radicals and rapid cell renewal. Vitamin C is associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer and kidney stones. It's also been reported that children who consume orange juice on a regular basis don't suffer as much with ear infections. Oranges are filled with something called flavanone. Flavanones are phytonutrients that help to lower blood pressure as well as cholesterol. Oranges also have anti-inflammatory properties. Most of the phytonutrient is found in the peel and inner white pulp, rather than the liquid center. Often this beneficial nutrient is often removed and discarded. 

Choosing an orange isn't rocket science and I think most of us know how to choose a pretty good one, but maybe these helpful tips will be a refresher. Choose an orange that is heavy, has a smooth texture and is firm. An orange doesn't have to be a bright orange color to be flavorful in fact they don't grow that way, most of the bright orange color you see is sprayed on for looks. Oranges that are small and have thinner skin are generally sweeter and juicier. 

 Orange Steamed Christmas Pudding courtesy Lifestyle Food

• 1 1/4 sticks butter, chopped, plus little dobs for greasing pan
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp finely grated orange zest
• 2 Eggs
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• ½ cup orange juice
• ½ cup chopped dried apples
• ½ cup chopped dried apricots
• fresh raspberries, to serve

Orange syrup

• 1 cup orange juice
• ½ cup powdered sugar

*You can use a traditional pudding tin to make your puddings, but I've used fluted ramekins and a large muffin pan. 
Lightly brush the pudding ramekins with melted butter, and line base with a small round of non-stick baking paper. Tear off a sheet of foil and a sheet of non-stick baking paper, in the shape of the ramekin. Cut the foil a bit larger so it can wrap around the sides of the ramekin dish. Set aside. The foil should sit on top of paper.

Using electric beaters, beat butter, sugar and orange zest until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour over butter mixture and add orange juice. Fold together until just combined. Fold in chopped dried fruit. 

Spoon into prepared basin and smooth the surface. Place foil and paper, foil side up, over the basin, and fold down around the sides. Tie kitchen string around the side of each seal (wet the string first to make it easier to hold in place). 

Place a trivet or upturned plate or side dish plate into a large saucepan or stockpot. Sit ramekins on top and then pour boiling water into the pan to come about 2/3 of the way up the side of the ramekins. Put lid on the pot and boil over medium heat for 1 1/2 hrs, replenishing the water as necessary. 

Syrup instructions:

Put juice in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 1.5 minutes until it boils slightly. Add powdered sugar whisking vigorously until it's combined. If it looks chunky it's okay, just whisk more or place it back in the microwave for a few more seconds. Add 1 pat of butter until it's combined and begins to look creamy.  It will continue to thicken as it cools.

Carefully lift puddings of our pan, and remove foil and paper. Invert onto a serving plate, and drizzle with syrup. Serve with raspberries and whipped cream. 

Photo and Recipe Here

Snow Pea & Orange Salad
4 cups snow peas (about 12 ounces), trimmed
2 oranges
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 small jícama, peeled and cut into matchsticks (about 1 cup)

Steam your snow peas until tender, remove from heat and cool in an ice bath. Mix your olive oil, vinegar, shallot, sugar and salt and whisk together. Cut orange into segments and place in bowl. Peel jicama, slice carefully as jicama is a hard one to cut. Match stix are the best for this salad. Just a little bite of each in perfect harmony.  Dress with your vinaigrette and serve immediately or chill it.

Orange Vinaigrette for Beet, Walnuts and Orange Segments 

1/3 cup Lite Olive Oil

1 tsp. freshly grated orange zest

1/3 cup orange juice

1 T. red-wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. soy sauce

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

In a blender or Cuisinart, combine juice, zest, salt and pepper, vinegar and soy sauce and zip in your machine or whisk by hand. Slowly add your oil until it is all thoroughly combined. 
Cut the stem off the beet, lightly oil them and roll them up in tinfoil. Roast in the oven at 350 until a knife inserted into the beet comes out without resistance. Let them cool, peel them and slice. Wear gloves. Roast your walnuts in a dry skillet and make sure you keep them moving and don't burn them. Arrange your orange segments, sliced beets and roasted walnuts and drizzle with your orange vinaigrette.




This next recipe is easily adaptable to whichever vegetables are in season. With summer add zucchini and peppers, and use lemon juice instead of orange. In the Spring, add asparagus, leeks and fennel. It's very heart friendly and healthy.

Orange Curry Roasted Vegetables

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup soy

1/4 cup fresh minced ginger

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 tsp. curry powder

1 small acorn squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

1 small red onion, sliced 

6 small red baby potatoes, cut in half

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1/2 cauliflower, cut in to small florets 

2 carrots, peeled and cut in to similar shape

Salt and Pepper

                 You want your veg to be all the same size cuts so they cook evenly.
Preheat oven to 425*. Combine all cut veg in a large bowl and set aside. Whisk together oil, juice, soy, ginger, sugar and curry powder and pour over vegetables. Don't forget your salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with foil. (if you have stoneware there is no need to line it, but make sure you butter the inside as the veg will become very roasted and concentrated) Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes and then uncover and roast for an additional 10-20minutes until they are crisped and very golden. Serve over rice and with some mandarin oranges over top.



Orange Chicken Saute

2 chicken breasts, chopped in bite sized pieces
2 stalks green onion
1/2 can water chestnuts
2 tbsp coconut oil or soy if you're not gluten free
1/4 coconut aminos
1/4 C orange juice
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp corn starch
1 tsp gluten free sriracha
1 orange zested into segments
salt and pepper to taste
Slice up your chicken breast into bite size pieces and lightly salt and pepper. Sprinkle your chicken with cornstarch and set aside.
Add coconut aminos/soy, orange juice, vinegar, orange zest and Siracha to a pan on medium heat and stir. When the sauce is warm, sprinkle in your corn starch while stirring.
Chop up the bottom part of your onions. That means the white part and the thicker parts of the onion. The green top halves of the onions you will be slicing thinly length wise or if you don't feel like making the thinly sliced pieces just chop up directly across.
Throw your oil into a skillet or wok on medium-high heat for a couple minutes until you see the oil ripple.
Toss in your chicken and the onions and stir it up. Cook and stir for 3 minutes and pour in your sauce from step 2 and the water chestnuts. You don't want to overcook the chicken or it will be tough so watch for this (taste while you are cooking to check on this, just make sure you are not biting into pink chicken meat).
Serve with steamed rice or wonton crisps

Orange Chipolte Shrimp (this is a great recipe for Salmon too)

1 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1 orange juice and zest
1 tablespoon chipotles chilies in abode sauce (chopped)
1 tablespoon oil
3 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
salt and pepper to taste 

1. Marinate the shrimp in the orange juice and zest, chipotles, oil and cilantro for 15+ minutes. Don't leave the shrimp in the marinade to long, the citrus will cook it.
2. Remove the shrimp from the marinade and season with salt and pepper.
3. Skewer the shrimp and grill or fry in a pan for 1-3 minutes per side.

 
Marmalade of Marmalade's Paddington approved

4 oranges
3 cups water
2 1/2 granulated sugar

Wash oranges. Zest one orange. Cut oranges in half, then cut in to very thin slices. Then cut all of the semicircle slices in to half, making very thin quarters. Make sure there are no seeds or pith. Place oranges in a large pot, add sugar and water and zest. Boil for about 30-40 minutes. While the orange cook, place a glass plate in the freezer and chill. When you think the marmalade is cooked, take a small spoon and drop a tiny bit on the frozen plate. If it thickens your marmalade is ready.

When the marmalade is ready, ladle it in to jars, wipe the rims clean, screw on tops and store. You can keep it in the fridge for about 3 weeks. You can also process the marmalade in a steamer for 20 minutes.