Citrus fruit (grapefruit, lemons, limes and oranges) are at their best in the winter and can add a burst of flavor to your recipes. These fruits are a rich source of vitamin C, which helps protect you from infection, can help keep your skin smooth, heals wounds and cuts and assists in red blood cell formation and repair.
A little bit of lemon zest brightens up morning pancakes while some freshly squeezed orange juice can be used to marinate mahi-mahi before grilling it.
Try these suggestions for adding citrus fruit to your menu.
- Make citrus fruit salad and include all of your favorites Try it with a sprinkling of unsweetened coconut flakes or a bit of raw honey and a sprinkling of nuts.
- Enjoy citrus for dessert with a square of dark chocolate.
- Pair with almost any variety of cheese. Hard, salty cheese adds wonderful balance and flavor to the sweet acidity of the fruit.
- Stir into Greek yogurt, cottage or ricotta cheese and eat as is or with a bit of honey or sliced dates for breakfast or a snack.
- Bake with citrus fruits.
- Cut into rounds and serve with a leafy green salad for a beautiful presentation.
- Add citrus to smoothie blends, such as green apple and parsley.
- Dip citrus segments into sweetened cream cheese dip or spread with your favorite roasted nut butter.
- Use citrus zest to add flavor to condiments.
- Add citrus segments to whole grain salads.
Some tips in using citrus fruits
- Heavy citrus fruits with firm rinds will have the most juice.
- Citrus fruits will stay freshest when wrapped in a plastic bag and stored in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer.
- Fresh-squeezed juice and citrus zest can be frozen for later use.
- When a recipe calls for strips of zest, a vegetable peeler works well. But for fluffy, grated zest, try using a microplane zester.
How to cut citrus fruit into segments:
Cut off the top and bottom of the fruit and stand it up on one end. Slice downward to cut away the skin and pith, moving around until all is removed. Holding the fruit over a bowl, slice along both sides of the membrane to release the segments.
Italian Kale Salad with Citrus Fruits
Lacinato kale is a variety of kale used in Italian cooking. It is also known as Tuscan kale, Tuscan cabbage, Italian kale, Dinosaur kale, cavolo nero, black kale, flat back cabbage, palm tree kale or black Tuscan palm. Lacinato kale has been grown in Tuscany for centuries. It is one of the traditional ingredients of minestrone and ribollita.
Ingredients
- 3 cups raw lacinato kale, stems removed, cut into strips 1 cm wide (measure after cutting)
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts or pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted
- 1/4 of a red onion, sliced thinly
- 2 tablespoons fresh goat cheese or feta cheese
- 1 grapefruit, peeled and cut into sections, dividing membranes removed
- 1 orange, peeled and cut into sections, dividing membranes removed
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
For the dressing:
Combine in a bottle or small bowl. Mix well before using.
For the salad:
Mix kale, pine nuts and onion in a large bowl. Season salad with salt and pepper. Cut goat or feta cheese into small pieces and mix into the salad.
Toss the salad with enough dressing to coat the leaves. Arrange grapefruit sections on the salad after it is put on the plate so they do not break.
Lemon Rice Soup with Tiny Meatballs
4 servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup medium-grain white rice
- 3 cups water
- Kosher salt
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- Freshly ground pepper
- 3/4 pound lean ground turkey or lamb
- 1/3 cup sweet onion, minced
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped mint, plus extra for garnishing
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped dill, plus dill sprigs for garnish
- 1 1/4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
Directions
In a large saucepan, cover the rice with the 3 cups of water, season with salt and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until the rice is tender and the water is nearly absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Transfer 1/2 cup of the rice to a blender and spread the remaining rice on a plate.
Add the chicken stock to the empty saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Add 1 cup of the hot stock to the blender with the rice, cover and puree until the rice is smooth. With the machine on, add the egg yolks and lemon juice and blend until smooth.
Season with salt and pepper. Stir the mixture into the hot stock and keep warm over low heat.
In a medium bowl, mix the meat with the onion, mint, 2 tablespoons of the dill, 1/4 teaspoon of the lemon zest, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
Form the mixture into 1-inch balls. Lightly dust the meatballs with flour, tapping off any excess, and drop them into the warm soup.
Increase the heat to moderate and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the reserved rice and the remaining 1 tablespoon of dill and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.
Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with dill or mint and serve.
Lemon Gnocchi with Peas & Spinach
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 8 ounces heavy cream
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- Fine Sea Salt
- 3 cups packed baby spinach leaves
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 (1-pound) package Potato Gnocchi
- 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
Directions
In a large skillet, combine peas, cream, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook uncovered until leaves are wilted. Remove pan from the heat and mix in lemon zest and juice.
Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add gnocchi and cook until they float to the top, about 4 minutes. Drain gnocchi, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Mix the drained gnocchi with the cream sauce in the skillet. Add the reserved pasta water and stir to coat. Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve.
Serves 4
Pork Chops with Orange & Fennel
4 servings
Ingredients
- 3 navel oranges
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 4 – 4 ounce boneless pork chops, 1/2 inch thick, trimmed
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, roughly chopped or coarsely ground in a spice grinder
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 3 cups arugula, tough stems removed
Directions
Remove the skin and white pith from oranges with a sharp knife. Working over a bowl, cut the segments from their surrounding membranes. Squeeze juice in the bowl before discarding the membranes. Transfer the segments with a slotted spoon to another bowl. Whisk lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and 1/4 teaspoon salt into the bowl with the orange juice. Set aside.
Season pork chops on both sides with fennel seeds and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chops and cook until browned and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
Add sliced fennel and shallot to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add arugula and cook, stirring, until it begins to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in the reserved orange segments, then transfer the contents of the pan to a large serving platter. Place the pork chops on top.
Add the reserved orange juice mixture to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Pour over the pork chops and serve.
Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 3/4 cup Extra Virgin olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Icing
- 1 cup confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus more to thin glaze
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a bundt pan with olive oil, then dust with flour.
In a large mixing bowl, combine oil, eggs, yogurt and lemon juice. Stir in sugar.
In another bowl, sift baking powder and flour. Once combined, slowly add the flour to the wet ingredients as you mix.
Pour batter into the pan and bake for about 40 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness. It should come out clean.
Remove cake from the oven and allow to rest. Once it has cooled, turn it onto a plate.
To create the icing, mix sugar and lemon juice together until smooth. Drizzle the over the cooled cake.
Serves 8 to 10
