Use Navel Oranges to Add Zest to Holiday Foods

Even if you’re cutting back when it comes to holiday celebrations this year in order to save money you can still create delicious foods with simple ingredients including navel oranges. Cooking with fresh citrus fruits is a great way to add a new flavor and a touch of the exotic to dishes that you serve often or dishes from simple ingredients that you want to dress up for the holidays. Even if you can’t spend a fortune on your holiday meals this year you can create a wonderful meal and a great atmosphere for your family and friends by adding some citrus zest to your cooking with meals like:

Herb Chicken with Oranges – This is a very simple meal to prepare that is delicious as well. Simply marinate chicken breasts in a mixture of olive oil, freshly squeezed juice from navel oranges or Valencia oranges, salt, pepper, thyme, tarragon, sage, and peppercorns. You can add any other spices you like as well. After marinating the chicken for at least an hour bake until the chicken is fully cooked and serve with peeled segments of navel oranges for garnishes. You don’t have to wear yourself out cooking or spend a lot on ingredients and you can still create a main course that will wow your friends and family.

Orange butter – Orange butter can be spread on pound cake, pumpkin bread, dessert breads, waffles, French toast, biscuits or other homemade breads when you want to serve something out of the ordinary. To make orange butter you will need a container of some kind, butter, and some navel oranges. Melt down the butter and add in a generous amount of fresh orange juice and a few tablespoons of orange zest. Pour the butter into the container and let it cool. As it cools it will solidify into orange butter. Only use real butter when making this however, the results will not be the same if you’re using margarine.

Orange bread – this unique bread will get the attention of everyone who comes to your house during the holidays. It makes a fabulous gourmet holiday gift when wrapped up in colorful wrapping and it’s very easy to make. Make a normal loaf of white bread using a bread maker but instead of following all the directions given for the break substitute orange juice for the water in the bread and add some orange zest to the batter before it rises. Sliced and served with butter it’s great for breakfast, snacks or dessert. Serve a Christmas breakfast of French Toast made with orange bread for a truly festive way to start the day.

Taste the Sunshine with Hale Groves

At Hale Groves, we believe the best gifts come from the land, not a factory. For generations, our fruit has been grown slowly under the Florida sun, picked at its peak, and delivered fresh to your door. From sweet Navel Oranges to rare Honeybells, every gift shares the simple joy of real flavor—perfect for holidays, milestones, or everyday moments worth celebrating.

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