Simply Elegant Oranges
Oranges and orange juice are as commonplace today as peanut butter and hamburgers. But for well into the 20th Century, many Americans considered them a luxury. Originally brought from India and China to Europe and then to California and Florida, citrus fruits represented wealth and opulence.

The way our food simply shows up at our grocery stores today, we’ve lost any sense of connection to the foods that we eat. So perhaps a brief agriculture lesson is in order. Orange trees present both ripe fruit and blossoms for the next crop at the same time. Fruit from one season is sometimes left on orange trees until the next harvest; called re-greened oranges, these are the sweetest ones of all.

Every part of an orange offers its own pleasures. The bright orange skin, also known as the zest, is full of aromatic oils that smell so good they are frequently used in perfumes. The white, spongy part, or pith, which we avoid eating, includes flavonoids that offer antioxidant protection. Inside, an orange’s juicy flesh is deliciously sweet and rich in vitamins and minerals. In particular, oranges provide an excellent source of vitamin C as well as fiber. While eating the whole fruit offers the most health benefits, when you do want juice, squeezing it yourself is your best bet.

I marinate sliced oranges with spices then whirl some of the marinade with apricot fruit spread, creating a jewel of a sauce. For an elegant finishing touch, I top the oranges with candied zest. Serve this elegant dish alone or alongside frozen yogurt or angel food cake.

Spiced Oranges
5 medium navel oranges
3/4 cup sugar, divided
3 cups cold water
4-inch cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
1/2 star anise (or 1/4 tsp. anise extract)
1/2 cup apricot fruit spread

Using a vegetable peeler, remove 4 strips of zest, each 1-inch by 3-inches, from one of the oranges, and set aside.

Cut each of the remaining four oranges horizontally into 4 or 5 round slices (skin not removed). Place the sliced fruit in a wide bowl or container, cover, and set aside.

For the syrup, place 1/2 cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan. Add the cold water, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and reserved strips orange zest, and set the pot over medium-high heat. Boil the liquid until it is reduced to 2 cups. Set it aside to cool for 20 minutes. Remove and reserve the orange zest, and discard the spices. Pour the syrup over the sliced oranges. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Meanwhile, place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a heavy saucepan. Pour in 1/2 cup water and add the orange zest. Place the pot over medium-high heat. When the liquid boils, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes, or until the zest looks translucent and shiny. Using a fork, remove it and place on a wire rack to dry, 8 to 24 hours. With a sharp knife, cut the candied zest crosswise into thin strips.

Just before serving, strain off 1/2 cup of the liquid from the oranges and place in a mini-food processor or blender. Add the apricot fruit spread and whirl just until blended; if using a blender, use low speed so mixture does not froth. Divide the sauce among 4 wide, shallow dessert bowls. Add the oranges, arranging them on top of the sauce. Sprinkle on the candied zest, and serve.
Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 260 calories, 0 g total fat (0 g saturated fat), 70 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein,
3 g dietary fiber, 15 mg sodium.

A Surprising Spinach Salad
Frisée au lardons, a salad of curly chicory topped with chewy bits of bacon and dressed with hot vinaigrette, is a bistro classic in France. Although lacy chicory and escarole (its flatter-leaved cousin) are found in most produce departments around the U.S., these greens have never really caught on with mainstream America’s taste. This makeover of the traditional French salad is the perfect introduction to these lesser-known members of the lettuce family.

To help balance the bitter flavor and tough texture of the chicory and escarole, I combine bite-sized pieces of the greens with baby spinach leaves. Many restaurants serve similar versions of this French salad using Savoy, a sturdy dark green spinach, but I prefer the more tender texture of the baby greens.
With new research showing a convincing link between processed meat and colon cancer, I’ll skip the bacon as well. While I could substitute with conventional croutons, I have a unique and delicious suggestion inspired by the sliced raw mushrooms that are sometimes added to spinach salads. In place of bread croutons, I make a version from mushrooms.

To create these “croutons,” I sauté hearty cremini mushrooms in a dry pan. Without additional fat or oil in the pan, the mushrooms slowly release their liquid. As you continue cooking them, they turn into lovely, chewy nuggets. The creminis, which are baby Portobello mushrooms, turn a rich, dark brown. These chewy delights are also a great accompaniment to soup or atop cooked vegetables.

Salad with Warm Mushrooms
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups packed baby spinach leaves
3 cups packed chicory or curly escarole in bite-size pieces
1 lb. crimini mushrooms
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 shallot, minced
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, vinegar, salt and black pepper. Whisk in the oil. Set the dressing aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the spinach and chicory or escarole, and set aside.