Delicious and Healthy Oranges

Delicious and healthy oranges are one of the most popular fruits in the world. It is tasty, inexpensive, has a very pleasant aroma, and provides numerous benefits to our health.

The word orange comes from the Sanskrit word narang, from nari, fragrance. It belongs to the orange tree, an ancient tree native to India, Vietnam and southeast China, and is one of the so-called tropical or exotic fruits.

It is smaller and sweeter in relation to grapefruit and larger when compared to tangerine. It belongs to a group of fresh fruits.

It is round, and its size varies between 2 and 4 inches in diameter. It is edible, and its pulp is generally made up of ten or eleven segments or skins full of juice, very rich in essential nutrients.

They are classified into two general categories: sweet and bitter or sour. The sweet orange is the most consumed and is usually the first flavor we try from childhood.

Selection and Preparation of Oranges

One advantage of oranges over other fruits is that they are of a size suitable for individual consumption. Their peel prevents the fruit from spoiling, and that is why they can be carried around and eaten at any time of day, becoming an ingredient in many healthy recipes.

The best orange is the freshly squeezed one. It only takes a maximum of 3 minutes to prepare a great juice at home, although you should consume the fruit with its peels.

There is no comparison between the quality and taste of the bottled juice and that of a natural one. With the latter, we receive all the vitamins and properties of fresh seasonal fruit.

Warning About Oranges

Avoid consumption in people with arthritis, diarrhea, and certain liver or gallbladder diseases. Orange juices taken on an empty stomach can cause some sensitive people to suddenly empty the bile contained in the gallbladder as well as slight dizziness and nausea. This is due to the choleretic and cholagogue action of oranges and, in general, of all citrus fruits.

Orange Healthy Recipes

Stuffed Oranges 

A very nutritious and lightweight citrus-based dessert or breakfast recipe. It offers protein and few calories, with lots of calcium and potassium, suitable for diabetics.

Ingredients

2 oranges,
1/2 cup of skimmed milk
2 tablespoons of cornmeal,
1 tablespoon of sweetener
1 tablespoon of grated dark chocolate.

 Directions

1. Wash the oranges very well on the outside, as they will serve as a container for this recipe.
2. Cut them in half and squeeze them to get all their juice.
3. Place the orange juice with the milk in a suitable container and add the no-calorie sweetener and the cornflour.
4. Mix until the preparation is homogeneous and place over moderate heat, stirring until thickened, forming a cream.
5. Remove from the heat and set aside while straining the remaining pulp that has been added to the squeezed orange.
6. Each half of the orange is filled with the previous preparation and decorated with grated chocolate.
7. They can be eaten warm or cold after a few hours in the refrigerator.

It is an ideal preparation as a healthy dessert, as it offers quality proteins and practically no sugar. They can be an alternative for breakfast.

Duck à l’Orange

A delicious and very nutritious meal.

 Ingredients

1 3-pound duck without its skin
1 sweet orange
1 carrot
1/3 of a medium-sized cabbage
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of honey
Juice of 3 oranges
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons of virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Make a syrup with the honey and some water. After cooling, confit the sliced orange there for about an hour.
2. Set aside a small part of the orange to grate the peel later.
3. Chop the duck and brown it in a suitable pan with the olive oil.
4. Peel, fillet, and add the garlic.
5. Season with salt and pepper and remove some of the fat from the duck.
6. Bathe with the orange juice and soy sauce and add orange zest.
7. Cover and cook for one hour.
8. Halfway through the cooking time, julienne the carrot and cabbage and cook briefly in a pan with a little water, olive oil and a pinch of salt.
9. Add the vegetables to the duck and leave it to cook.
10. Remove the duck from the pan. Cut the candied orange slices in half, add them to the stew sauce and cook for a couple of minutes.
11. Serve the duck with the orange slices and the vegetables, and bathe with the sauce to your liking.
12. You can pair this dish with brown rice.

Even if you feel full, you’ll want more.