Out of the gazillion varieties of fruits that exist on this planet, I find Orange to be a fun fruit. It’s amusing to peel one (especially when it squirts you in the eye), it has a color named after itself (or was it the other way round?!!), it’s tangy, it’s sweet, it’s annoying (remember those annoying Orange videos?) and the new Netflix Original is not called ‘Apple is the New Black’ (that would’ve been weird!).

You see what I’m saying? Orange is a cool fruit. And what makes it cooler is its wholesomeness. It’s loaded with antioxidants and it offers numerous health benefits. Orange fruit infusions provide a unique balanced zest to a dish. It can make a simple dish taste and look fancy (you’ll see!). 😉

Today’s on the blog topic is ORANGE! Here are a couple of recipes for dishes prepared with an added twist of Orange. Enjoy! 🙂

Carrot-Ginger Soup with a touch of Orange

Do you need to impress your guests by cooking an elegant dinner but don’t know where to begin? Here’s a recipe for your menu! This soup looks and tastes so good that they’ll want a second (and a third and a fourth…) serving. I promise!

Ingredients:

Carrots (peeled and roughly chopped) – 3

Onion (chopped) – ½ cup

Orange juice (freshly squeezed or store-bought) – ½ cup

Ginger (grated) – 1 tbsp

Vegetable broth (unsalted) – 1 cup

Cream – ½ cup

Olive oil – 2 tbsp

Cinnamon powder – ¼ tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Salt and pepper – to taste

Garnish:

Thyme leaves, dried parsley and orange slices. (Any dried herb can be used) You can also use fresh chopped green onions for garnishing.

Directions:

• Heat olive oil in a pan and add the chopped onion to it. Cook until the onion turn slightly translucent. Add chopped carrots, ginger, cinnamon powder and turmeric powder. Sauté and cook until carrots become soft.
• Add orange juice and half cup of vegetable broth. Bring it to a boil.
• Cool contents to room temperature. Combine contents in a blender and sauté at high for 3-4 minutes to form a smooth paste
• Transfer the paste to a pan, add the rest of the broth, cream, salt and pepper and bring it to a boil.
• Serve hot with a sprinkle of thyme leaves and dried parsley. Use orange slices to make your dish look pretty!

Pom-O Smoothie

Pomegranates and Oranges – that’s a weird combination. Wrong! That’s a wicked combination! This smoothie combines the joyous goodness of pomegranates and the super-strength of oranges to give your energy the right kinda boost. Great as a pre/post workout grub – this smoothie will make you want more!

Ingredients:

Pomegranate seeds – 1 cup

Medium sized oranges – 2 (sectioned and seeded)

Banana – 1

Apple juice (or any fresh or store-bought juice) – 1 cup

Plain yogurt – 1 cup

Honey – 1-2 tbsp

Topping:

Chopped raisins/ apricots

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree at high.
• Serve with chopped raisins/apricots.
• This recipe serves two.

Keep it cooking! 🙂 Thank you for reading! ❤