EDMOND — I was born and raised in South Florida and often tell people that I have orange juice running through my veins. Two things hands-down I know instinctively are oranges and grapefruit.

In fact my Papa had one tree that he grafted that produced lemons, limes and oranges. I can remember as a kid playing in the orange groves in Arcadia, Fla., and not thinking twice about pulling an orange off a tree and eating it. So much so my stomach would start to hurt.

Oranges and grapefruit are a winter crop and what most citrus farmers count on is the evenings being cold enough to form frost, but not to freeze the citrus. It’s the cool nights and the sunny warm days that make the insides sweet and delicious.

Oranges are originally from south Asia and can be sweet, such as my favorite, the Honeybell, to bitter, such as a blood orange. The most common are the sweet oranges and are used in everything from marmalades and juices to salads.  In my opinion the bitter oranges are not given enough credit. They are perfect for marinades and are great when cooked down into chutneys and sauces to enhance the flavor of most dishes.

Grapefruits were derived from a type of orange and were first grown in Jamaica.  At first they were grown as an ornamental tree and the fruit was never eaten. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the grapefruit made it to the United States and began being grown to be eaten. My favorite grapefruit are the pink grapefruit and have to be “Indian River,” which are grown on the east coast of Florida in Indian River County.

Easy to store, they come in their own wrapper, and make the perfect snack. Oranges and grapefruit are at their prime right now and should be in your cart every time you’re at the store. As for variety they are endless, and they each offer a different flavor and texture.

Oranges and grapefruit are perfect when eaten by themselves, but when used in cooking can add the perfect amount of sweet or bitter to make the flavor combination explode. Not to mention that fruit this good is packed with nutrients, making this a win-win for everyone.

Cook smart ...



CHEF DAVE FOUTS is an Edmond resident and a nationally known speaker in the bariatric weight-loss industry. He also is the author of four cookbooks.



Grapefruit and Oranges Fennel Mint Salad

Servings: 6

Serving size: 1/4 cup

Ingredients:

1 large orange, peeled and ends trimmed

1 grapefruit, peeled and ends trimmed

1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs, thinly sliced

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Directions:

Using a paring knife, cut along the membrane of an orange on both sides of each segment. Free the segments and let them fall into a medium bowl.

Repeat with the grapefruit.

Squeeze the membranes over the bowl to extract as much juice as possible, reserving the juices in the bottom of the bowl.

Place the fruit segments and fennel in a salad bowl.

In a blender, blend together the oil, mint and 3 tablespoons of the reserved juice until smooth.

Season with salt and pepper.

Pour over the fruit and fennel. Add the chopped walnuts and toss until all the ingredients are coated.

Serve.



Citrus Chicken Sauté  

Serving: 4

Serving Size: 1 each

Ingredients:

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind

2 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon grated orange rind

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

4 4-ounce boneless chicken breast pounded thin

Directions:

Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

Pour marinade juice mixture into a large resealable plastic bag.

Add chicken to bag. Seal; let marinade for 20 minutes.

Coat pan with cooking spray and heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Remove chicken from bag.

Add chicken to heated pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done.