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THE GIFTS OF CITRUS
Colorful Good Health in Holiday Dishes
by Judith Fertig W
inter citrus fruits that arrive in a gift basket or show up on sale at the grocer present a
welcome bright spot on winter’s darker days. Valencia and blood oranges, limes and Meyer lemons are delicious in their own right, and deserve their place on the breakfast table. Yet there are many other intriguing ways to enjoy them in vinaigrettes, salads, main dishes, baked goods and desserts. Winter citrus is full of health ben-
efits, just when we need them most: during the busy holiday season. To start, they help bolster our immune system, guarding against colds or helping us recover faster. Their high vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, content is water soluble. According to a comprehensive study by the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, a daily intake of 400 milligrams of vitamin C can halve the incidence of colds in adults and cut their duration by 14 percent. The flavonoid hesperidin in citrus
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helps boost “good” HDL cholesterol and lowers “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, report researchers in the Journal of Nutrition. In a new study in Nutritional Neuroscience, hesperidin in citrus also was found to ameliorate brain deterioration found in Alzheimer’s patients. Other studies further show that the
grapefruit diet wasn’t wrong; eating half a fresh grapefruit before each meal can help us lose weight. In a study conducted at the Scripps Clinic, in La Jolla, California, and published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, researchers put overweight volunteers on an exercise plan for 12 weeks and asked them to eat either half a fresh grapefruit or drink apple juice and pop a placebo pill before each meal. The grapefruit group dropped an average of three-and-a-half pounds, compared to only one-half pound for the apple group. Limonoids, an antioxidant found
Orange BÜssom Water Orange blossom or orange flower water is available at better grocery stores, kitchen shops, Middle Eastern markets or online.
Yields: 4 to 5 servings
• 5 medium to large navel or large blood oranges
• 3 Tbsp orange blossom water • 1 tsp ground cinnamon • 2 Tbsp honey or date sugar • 1/2 pomegranate, seeded
• 1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp coarsely chopped unsalted pistachios
• 8 to 10 mint leaves, chopped or torn, for garnish
Peel the oranges and cut away all of the white pith and outer membrane.
Slice each orange across the core into 1/2-inch slices, six per orange, reserv- ing any juice that runs off. Push out and discard any spongy white core.
Fan the slices in concentric circles, slightly overlapping the fruit, on a large round serving platter.
Drizzle the orange blossom water and any reserved runoff juice over the fruit. Using a fine sieve, lightly and evenly dust with cinnamon and a generous drizzle of honey.
Chill the oranges for at least 1 hour or longer in the refrigerator before serving.
When ready to serve, sprinkle the pomegranate seeds, pistachios and mint leaves evenly over the top.
Moroccan Spiced Orange Slices with
lizabarbiza/
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photo by Ilva Beretta
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