A touch of citrus brightens winter meals

    With its bright yellow, orange and green colors, fresh citrus brings a dash of color  to area grocery stores and an infusion of flavor to winter meals.
    It also adds nutrition, whether incorporated into a soup, salad, side dish, entree or dessert. Studies show most adults consume less fruit than recommended, and adding citrus to a meal can help remedy this.
    Citrus fruits add not only vitamin C but numerous antioxidants to the diet, helping people to maintain a healthy immune system, keep skin and gums healthy and strengthen bones.
    Most citrus fruits have high levels of potassium, vitamin A and fiber.
    You can add pieces of the fruit to a dish, or just the juice or zest to bring out a new dimension.
    Before juicing, roll the room temperature fruit on the counter first to maximize the amount of juice.
    When zesting, remember not to get any of the bitter white pith mixed in with the peel.
    When buying citrus, look for fruit that is firm and heavy for its size with bright, colorful skin and a fresh scent. Avoid fruit with bruised, wrinkled or discolored skins because this indicates it is old or has been stored incorrectly.
    Don’t worry if you see a Valencia orange with slightly green-colored skin. This is a natural process that can occur in warm weather, even though the fruit is ripe.
    Most citrus fruits will keep at room temperature for several days. For best results, store citrus in a plastic bag or the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.
    Fresh-squeezed juice and grated peel or zest may be refrigerated or frozen. Grated peel can be frozen and used when a recipe calls for zest.
    Following are a few recipes for citrus fruits from brit.co

brit.co

Shrimp Pasta With Lemon and Spinach

Salt
1 pound pasta
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to garnish
1/4 cup garlic, onion, shallot or leak, diced Zest of 1 lemon or orange
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp, white or garbanzo beans, smoked salmon, canned tuna or chicken breast cut into bite-sized strips
1-1/2 cups San Marzano canned tomatoes, broccoli florets, mushrooms, spinach, zucchini or asparagus
Fresh parsley, basil or chives, chopped, for garnish
Parmesan or pecorino cheese, grated, for garnish, optional

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt it liberally. Once it has reached a rapid boil, add pasta and cook one minute less than package instructions, roughly seven minutes.
    Reserve 1/2 to one cup pasta water, then quickly drain pasta.
    Heat a large skillet, then add oil. Add garlic or onion and cook until translucent.
    Add half of the zest. Before it caramelizes, add juice.
    Add the protein of your choice, sprinkle with salt and sauté until caramelized and cooked through. Most will take five minutes or less, although chicken may require four minutes per side and shrimp two minutes on each side.
    Add vegetable to the pan with another pinch of salt, then stir in pasta and add cooking water, one small splash at a time, until noodles cook through.
    Taste and salt as needed. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and sprinkle remaining zest on top. Grate cheese on top.
    Use tongs to divide onto plates. Garnish with chopped chives, parsley, and/or basil.

Miso Blood Orange Scallops

1/2 teaspoon blood orange zest
1/4 cup blood orange juice
2 tablespoons red miso paste
1/2 pound dry sea scallops
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley

    In a small bowl, whisk together blood orange zest, juice and miso paste. Set aside.
    Warm a large pan over medium-high heat. Pat scallops dry with a paper towel and season very lightly with salt and pepper.
    Place oil and one tablespoon butter to the pan and swirl to melt the butter. Add scallops and thyme, being sure not to crowd the scallops, and sear two to three minutes. When scallops are well browned, flip over. When scallops are browned on the second side and almost cooked through, transfer to a plate.
    Turn the heat to medium and add shallots. Cook one minute, stirring. Add miso blood orange mixture to the pan and whisk to combine. Simmer about 30 seconds, then turn off heat and whisk in the remaining  butter and parsley. Spoon sauce over the scallops and serve.
    Makes two servings.

Orange Five Spice Chicken Thighs With Carrots and Brussels Sprouts

For marinade:
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
3 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon five-spice powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
For meal:
8 large chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
1 bunch skinny carrots, peeled and trimmed
8 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

    Whisk marinade ingredients together in a small mixing bowl. Trim excess fat from chicken thighs and place in zipper-lock bag with the marinade. Marinate in refrigerator at least one hour.
    Toss carrots and Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in a 425-degree oven for eight minutes.
     Remove chicken thighs from bag and pat skin side dry with a paper towel.
    Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high flame until you see wisps of smoke. Add chicken thighs, skin side down, and brown about seven minutes.
    Remove vegetables from oven and add to skillet. Arrange chicken thighs on top of the vegetables, skin side up.
    Roast in oven about 15 minutes, until chicken registers 175 degrees.

Orange-Balsamic Shrimp Pasta

12 ounces thin spaghetti
1 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup golden balsamic vinegar
2 cups orange juice
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

    Bring a large pot of water to boil, then cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
    Pat the shrimp dry.
    Place cornstarch, red pepper flakes, cayenne, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk in balsamic vinegar until cornstarch is dissolved. Whisk in orange juice and garlic. Set aside.
    Warm olive oil and one tablespoon butter in a large stainless steel pan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and sear one minute. Flip over and cook another one to two minutes, until mostly pink and cooked through. With a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to a warming plate.
    Add orange juice mixture to the pan and increase heat to high. Simmer and cook about one minute to thicken slightly. Stir in remaining butter, cooked pasta, cooked shrimp and parsley. Toss to coat.
    Serve in individual bowls immediately.

Citrus Herb Roasted Chicken

1 whole chicken
10 to12 sprigs fresh rosemary
10 to 12 sprigs fresh parsley
10 to 12 sprigs fresh thyme
2 lemons, cut in half
For brine:
2 cups buttermilk
4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
For herbed butter:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh thyme
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh sage
Salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

    Combine buttermilk, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken, making sure it is submerged in the buttermilk. Refrigerate three to four hours.
    Place unsalted butter, lemon zest, thyme, parsley, sage, salt and pepper in a food processor and blend until combined. Set aside.
    Remove chicken from the buttermilk  and tie the legs with twine.
    Place the chicken, breast side up, on a metal rack in a large roasting pan. Smear herb butter all over the chicken and stuff the cavity with sage, parsley, thyme and lemon halves. Roast in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 300 degrees and cook another hour, basting the chicken with the pan drippings at regular intervals.
    When the temperature in the thickest part of the chicken is 165 degrees, increase the heat to 500 degrees until chicken is nicely browned. Remove from the oven and cover with aluminium foil.
    Return to a 350-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes before serving.

Winter Citrus Butter Salmon

1 2-pound salmon filet
1 garlic clove, minced
1-1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 blood orange, thinly sliced
For herb butter:
3  tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, sage or thyme
Pinch of salt
For winter citrus salsa:
1 blood orange, segmented and chopped
1 cara cara orange, segmented and chopped
1 small shallot, diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper

    Stir together herbs, salt and butter. Set aside.
    Mix salsa ingredients together in a bowl until combined. Refrigerate.
    Place salmon on a baking sheet. Stir together brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic and lemon zest in a small bowl. Add olive oil and stir to combine. Rub the mixture all over the salmon, then place blood orange slices on top.
    Broil salmon on high for six to eight minutes, until just opaque and flakey with a fork. Drizzle with herb butter and serve with winter citrus salsa.

Beef Stroganoff With Roasted Mushrooms and Meyer Lemons

1-1/2 pounds beef sirloin steak
6 green onions, white part only
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large Meyer lemon
1 pound button mushrooms, sliced thick
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon bourbon
1-1/4 cups brown stock or broth
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
1 pound egg noodles, fresh or dried

    Cut beef into large cubes, then slice each cube into thin slicers, making sure to cut against the grain. Thinly slice the green onion.
    In an airtight container, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper. Juice half a Meyer lemon and add it to the marinade. Add sliced beef and onions to the marinade, toss to coat, cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
    Slice a Meyer lemon half into 1/4-inch segments with the peel on, removing any seeds. Combine with sliced mushrooms on a large sheet pan. Drizzle with one tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, then roast in a 400-degree oven for 15 minutes, turning once.
    Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet over high heat. Sear the beef in three batches, sauteing it for one to two minutes. Once each batch is light brown, transfer it to a plate.
    Return beef to the pan and sprinkle with flour. Stir, then pour in stock and bourbon and mix well. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    Cook egg noodles according to the package directions.
    Remove beef from the heat and stir in the salt and the yogurt. Add salt and pepper, then fold in roasted mushrooms and lemon.
    Place hot egg noodles in a large serving dish. Top with beef mixture and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve at once.
    Regular lemons can’t be substituted for Meyer lemons.

Pan-Fried Halibut With Grapefruit and Mango Salsa

4 1-inch thick fillets wild halibut
Salt
Pepper
Sunflower or grapeseed oil
For salsa:
1 mango, peeled and diced
1 large or 2 small grapefruit, peeled, segmented and diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped fine
Juice of 1 lime
Salt
Pepper

    Let halibut come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Pat fillets dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper.
    Combine all the salsa ingredients in a bowl, stir, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
    Heat a large, heavy skillet to medium-high heat, then drizzle a thin layer of oil into the pan. When the oil starts to shimmer and smoke slightly, place fillets, skin side down, in the pan, being careful not to crowd the pan. Wait three minutes, then try to lift the fish. If it lifts easy, flip it over. If it doesn’t release easily, let it be for another minute, then try again.
    Once the fish is flipped over, place pan in a 350-degree oven for four to six minutes per 1/2-inch thickness.
    Remove from the oven, place on plates, top with salsa and serve immediately.