Tony Stallone with the Peapod visited the ABC7 Chicago studio to tell us his list of Top 10 Winter Fruits. He also made delicious salads and a great dessert.
Top 10 Winter Fruits
10. Cara Cara orange - It is a cousin to the navel orange with a red to pink color flesh. This medium-sized orange is sweet and low in acid, with more complex flavor than most navel varieties, described as evoking notes of cherry, rose petal and blackberry. Store in the refrigerator for up to 14 days.
9. Bosc pears - They have a delicious sweet spice flavor and are high in vitamin C, but most of the vitamins are stored in or near the skin. The Bosc holds up well for cooking. Check out the simple, tasty recipe for Poached Pear below. Store in the refrigerator for up to 14 days.
8. Pink Lady apples - Now that Honey Crisp apples are becoming harder to find, people are turning to the Pink Lady for a similar crunch and sweetness. This apple is high in vitamin C and contains a good dose of fiber. Always store apples in the refrigerator where they can last up to 21 days; leaving them out too long at room temperature makes them mushy.
7. Tangerines - It's a good source of vitamin C , folate and beta-carotene. Store in the coldest part of the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
6. Navel oranges - It is seedless and higher in vitamin C than other varieties. A 5-ounce serving of navel orange contains 100 percent of the RDA for vitamin C and about 3 grams of fiber. Navels are not recommended for juicing because the juice will turn bitter. Can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days (they will be juicier) or store in the coldest part of the refrigerator.
5. Blood orange - It has a sweet-tart flavor with a hint of raspberry. A popular Sicilian winter salad is made with blood oranges, sliced fennel, parsley and olive oil. Check out the recipe below.
4. Blackberries - Producers keep growing varieties that are sweeter each year. Blackberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, fiber and potassium.
3. Grapefruit - They are high in pectin and contain good amounts of vitamin C and potassium. They are low in calories and fat-free.
2. Clementines - Clementines, like tangerines, belong to the mandarin family (a sub-variety of orange), but unlike a tangerine a clementine is virtually seedless. They have less acid than a orange, and not quite as much vitamin C as an orange or tangerine. Check out the recipe for spinach salad below!
1. Blueberries - You can enjoy them out of hand or added to cereal, muffins, pancakes, salads. You can also enjoy them in a smoothie, for example with honey, banana and ice. They have a lot of antioxidants and are high in vitamin C and fiber. Store in the coldest part of refrigerator for up to five days and only rinse just before using.
Recipes:
Tony's Sicilian Salad
1 fennel bulb, quartered and thinly sliced
3 blood oranges peeled and separated into segments
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon plain parsley finely chopped
Pinch sea salt and cracked black pepper
1/4 cup shaved parmesan
On a large plate or bowl combine fennel and blood oranges in a decorative fashion, top with shaved parmesan, drizzle olive oil over salad, salt and pepper to taste and finish with sprinkle of parsley.
Clementine Spinach Salad
10-12 oz. baby spinach
4 clementines sectioned
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons red onion thinly sliced
4 oz. crumbled feta or blue cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Dressing:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Clementine juiced
1 teaspoon sugar
Place the salad ingredients in a bowl, except cheese. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and toss with the salad, plate then top with cheese.
Poached Pears
4 Bosc pears peeled, but leave the stem on for presentation
1 pint heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons caramel sauce
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
Place peeled pears in a shallow baking dish (8-by-8-inch is best, or a 9-by-13-inch will do), pour heavy whip over pears, place in preheated 400 degree oven and cook for 20-30 minutes or until pears are tender. Test by inserting knife, should insert easily and be easily withdrawn. Remove from oven. Place pears on individual plates, spoon heavy whip over pear, drizzle with chocolate and caramel sauces, and serve.
