100 % Orange Juice Linked to Better Health

Good news for lovers of 100% orange juice, not only does it taste amazing its great for you. A recent study looking at data from The National Nutrition Examination Survey from 2003-2006 found that people who drank 100% orange juice had a better diet and lower risk of being overweight 16% lower in fact. Their diets were higher in vitamin C, folate, magnesium and potassium. 

So drink your orange juice with a smile on your face your making some great lifestyle choices.

Source:

1. http://www.foodbev.com/report/100-orange-juice-linked-to-better-diet

Citrus Margarita

This fun Margarita recipe comes from Sweet Life - Cooking, eating, living my sweet life in Texas. This wonderful food blog features Mexican and Texan dishes heart felt family posts and is a must read

Citrus Margarita

by Sweet Life

by Vianney Rodriguez

makes 4 margaritas

• lime or orange wedges
• candied orange peel salt
• 1 cup tequila
• 1/2 cup grapefruit juice
• 1/2 cup orange juice 
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup Cointreau
• ice cubes

Method:

On a small plate spread salt.  With lime or orange wedges moisten rim of 6 ounce glasses.  Dip glasses into salt.   Place glasses into freezer to chill.

In a pitcher combine tequila, grapefruit, orange juice, lime juice and Cointreau.  Remove glasses from freezer and serves margaritas mixture over ice. Serve
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Candied Orange Peel Salt Mix

by Sweet Life

by Vianney Rodriguez

• 2 oranges
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup of sugar 
• 2 tablespoons salt

Cut off top and bottoms of oranges. Peel and remove pith.  Cut rind into strips.  Place water and 1 cup sugar in saucepan, when sugar has dissolved add orange strips and let the mix come to a boil.  Boil for 15 minutes. Remove strips and drain well.  Toss strips in the 1/2 cups sugar and allow to dry overnight on cooling rack.  Add strips to food processor with the 2 tablespoons of salt.  Pulse until  you reach your desired texture.  Rim your glass and enjoy. Store in airtight container.

Gluten Free Orange Cake

This wonderful orange cake comes from My Man's Belly a fun LA based food blog with first class recipes and fun relationship advice :-)

Recipe: Flourless Orange Cake

Recipe adapted from The Cook’s Companion

Ingredients

• 2 Large Oranges (thoroughly washed)
• 6 Eggs
• 8.78 Ounces Almond Flour/Finely Ground Almonds
• 8.78 Ounces Superfine Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Double Acting Baking Powder
• Butter
• Flour (for dusting pan)

Directions

1. Cover oranges in a medium-sized pot with water. Bring to a boil, place the lid on the pot and lower heat to a simmer, and simmer for 1 hour.
2. Remove the oranges from the water, allow to cool, cut open, remove and throw out any seeds.
3. Once cool, roughly chop up oranges, including the rind.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.
5. Butter and flour a 9 inch springform pan. This batter is really wet, so make sure that your springform pan forms a tight seal. To be safe, I still folded foil underneath and up the sides.
6. Add the oranges and eggs to your food processor and purée .
7. Thoroughly mix together the ground almonds, superfine sugar and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
8. Gradually add the egg-orange mixture, to the dry ingredients, whisking to combine.
9. Scrape all of the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour; the cake is done when it’s a deep golden brown, pulls slightly away from the sides, and the top springs back when touched. If cake is still very wet, cook a little longer.
10. Cool completely in the pan before gently removing the sides of the pan.
11. Store, tightly wrapped, in fridge.

Notes

* To make superfine sugar, just measure out the same amount of granulated sugar. Pulse in the food processor until sugar grains are much finer. Do not process it into powder

For chocolate ganache, see the ganache recipe I used to make the truffles at Christmas.  Drizzle over cake while still warm.  Leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Cooking time (duration): 75 minutes

Diet (other): Gluten free

Number of servings (yield): 8

Meal type: dessert

Orange Polenta Cake

This amazing and creative recipe comes from Cake Duchess and like the name you will find amazing baked goods on her blog:





Screwdriver Cake-Caramelized Orange Olive Oil Cake

• 2/3 cup plain yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 vodka (if you don’t like to use alcohol, you could use a 1/2 cup total orange juice)
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 3 tablespoons sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
• 2-3 small oranges sliced about 1/8 inch thick

Caramel ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Rinse and dry your oranges. Cut the ends off of the oranges and slice the rest of the oranges about 1/8 inch thick. Take out all the seeds.

Combine 3/4 cup sugar and 4 tablespoons of water in a 8-inch cast-iron or oven proof skillet on medium heat. Swirl the water the around so that the water combines in the sugar. Stir constantly until it turns golden brown and starts to caramelize. As soon as it changes color, remove from the heat and add the 3 tablespoons butter. Let it melt and swirl it around to combine.
Arrange the sliced oranges in a concentric patter on top of the caramel. Set the pan aside.


In a small bowl, add the orange juice and vodka. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In another medium sized bowl, beat the egg whites until they are soft with fluffy peaks. Set aside the beaten egg whites.

In a clean bowl of a mixer, beat the sugar with the olive oil until combined (about 1 minute).

On medium speed, beat in the egg yolks one at a time until combined. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture. Add 1/2 of the vodka/orange juice and beat for about a minute. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture. Stop the mixer and with a spatula, scrape down the sides of your pan to combine all the flour mixture. Add the rest of the vodka mixture and beat for about a minute. Add the rest of the flour mixture and the 3 tablespoons of sour cream (or Greek yogurt).

Stop the mixer and fold in the egg whites gently until combined and you don’t see any more white streaks.



Spoon the batter on top the caramelized orange mixture. Even out the top of the batter with a spatula. Bake about 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. After the cake has cooled for about 10 minutes, run a knife around the sides of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Place your serving plate on top of cake upside down. Carefully and quickly invert the pan onto your serving plate. Make sure you hold the handle of the pan with an oven mitt because the handle will still be scorching hot. Replace any oranges to the top of the cake that maybe came off when you flipped it.

Sweet Orange Bread

This delightful orange bread comes from a fun Florida based food blog, full of great family tales and first class recipes  Moveable Feasts- feasts for the plate the eye and the mind:

Ingredients:

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 large oranges (to yield 1 1/3 cups juice)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 eggs

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 and put a rack 1/3 up from the bottom of the oven. Butter two loaf pans (8  1/2 x 4  1/2 x 2  1/2) and then coat them lightly with fine, dry bread crumbs.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
With a vegetable peeler, remove the thin, bright colored outer rind of about 2  1/2 oranges and reserve it. Squeeze the oranges. You will need 1  1/3 cups juice. Set it aside.
Cut the rind into slivers. Place the rind, sugar and water into a saucepan. Stir over high heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and let mixture boil gently without stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter. Stir to melt. Beat the eggs lightly just to mix and stir them in. Pour this over the dry ingredients and stir until dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened.
Pour into prepared pans. Shake gently to level batter. Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out dry.
Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to racks to finish cooling.

Temple Oranges

Temple Oranges originate from Jamaica. They were discovered in the 1800's in the jungles a natural hybrid between a mandarin and sweet orange and later brought to Florida. They are affectionately called the Queen of the crop with easy to peel skin, a rich aroma and divine taste, in fact they are our most popular spring orange. 

But due to their delicate nature a lot of grocery stores don't stock them, but fear not as we have been successfully shipping them for 70 years so why not put a little spring in your step with these wonderful oranges ?

First Class Citrus Salmon Recipe

This wonderful recipe comes from Mission: Food- Nothing is Impossible a fun filled food blog, with first class cuisine cooked by a young passionate chef :-)

Pan-Roasted Salmon with Citrus-Balsamic Vinaigrette


Serves 4
(Slightly Adapted from The Union Square Cafe Cookbook)
(Printable Version)

Sauce:
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 anchovy fillet, very finely minced (optional)
2 T. finely minced onion
2 tsp. each chopped parsley, basil, and mint
2 T. finely minced orange zest
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Salmon:
4 (6-oz) fillets of salmon, skin on or off
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 T. olive oil

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a glass jar, cover tightly, and shake vigorously. Reserve.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper to taste. In an oven-proof skillet large enough to hold all the salmon, heat the olive oil over high heat. Place the salmon in the pan with its skin side down. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 8 to 10 minutes, until medium-rare, or longer if desired. Transfer the cooked salmon to a serving platter and keep warm while finishing the sauce.

Wipe out any remaining olive oil in the skillet and add the sauce. Heat through for a few seconds over high heat, spoon the sauce over the salmon, and serve.