Delicious Things To Do With Fresh Oranges

Oranges are in season right now which makes them extra juicy and super cheap. If you buy them in bulk, it makes them even less expensive. The other day I bought a 5 pound bag but after 3 or 4 days of eating an orange every single day, I was getting a bit tired of the. So here’s some quick, easy and cheap ways to use those oranges before they go bad…adding lots of vitamins easily and naturally to your diet.

CITRUS SALSA –

This tastes fabulous on fish tacos or as a dip for tortilla chips. I put a spoonful on top of some canned black beans for a healthy but filling lunch. I would also serve this with baked fish or chicken. This makes about 4 servings (1/3 cup per serving), depending on what you’re serving it with.

Ingredients:

• 3 large oranges
• 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 teaspoons seeded and chopped fresh jalapeno
• 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
• pinch of black pepper

Directions:

Remove peel and white pith from oranges and lime with a knife. Cut segments from oranges and lime and coarsely chop. Add all the ingredients together and gently toss until combined.

• Gluten free and vegan

ORANGE AND BEAN SALAD –

This recipe makes enough for 4 to 6 side salads or a couple of hearty, vegan entrees. It’s refreshing, quick and full of flavor.

Ingredients:

• 2 large oranges
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped (you can scoop the seeds out if you want or use an English cucumber but I don’t mind the seeds)
• 1 can 15-ounce chick peas (garbanzo) or black beans
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• black pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash oranges and dry. Grate 2 tablespoons zest from oranges into a large bowl. Cut away peel and pith and discard. Over the bowl, cut out orange segments, letting any juice drip into the bowl. Set aside a couple of segments and coarsely chop the rest and add to bowl. Squeeze the juice from reserved segments (I use two) into the bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.

ORANGE WATER –

Lemons and limes aren’t the only citrus that adds great flavor to a plain glass of water. There’s a couple of ways you can add flavor to your water easily…

1. Slice oranges into rounds and then cut in half. Add a few pieces to the bottom of your glass and using a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon, press enough to release some of the juice without smashing them into pieces. Add ice and water.
2. Simply add orange slices to a pitcher of water and let refrigerate overnight. So good!

*Make sure you wash your oranges before using them…think of how many people have touched and squeezed them!

DRESS UP PLAIN YOGURT –

Typically, when you buy fruit-flavored yogurt, you’re getting added sugars. There’s nothing wrong with some sweet yogurt, but when you flavor it yourself, you can better control the amount of sugar and calories. I tried this the other day and it’s so good, I’d serve it as a dessert too. Use whatever plain yogurt you like (or that’s on sale.) I tried this with low-fat Greek yogurt. To your yogurt, add chopped orange segments. Drizzle a bit of honey or agave over it and sprinkle a bit of cinnamon over it. The next time I make this, I’ll try some chopped pecans…lots of nutritious ingredients! What a great way to start the morning (or an easy and quick-lunch or dessert or right before bed…anytime!)

USE THE ZEST –

I zest my oranges and save it for flavoring salads, vegetables, salsa, veggies, ice cream, yogurt and cake frosting. You can literally add it to anything. It’s free and you can even freeze it. To freeze, I clean my oranges, zest them, put it on a waxed-paper lined plate and pop in the freezer for about an hour. Some I freeze in little mounds and the rest I sprinkle all over the plate so that it stays in flakes. Once frozen, I put it in freezer bags and pop in the freezer. To use, just pull out what you need.