Low-Fat Orange and Ginger Dressing

Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons grated ginger
1 teaspoon honey

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients together until well combined.

Orange and Mint Glaze

Delicious used on pork, veal or lamb. Add extra flavor to a lamb roast by basting with this glaze during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon French mustard
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons mint jelly, warmed

Method:

1. Place orange juice, mustard, honey and mint jelly in a bowl and mix to combine.
2. Brush over meat and grill, barbecue, pan cook or bake.

Blood Orange and Tomato Salsa

This salsa is delicious served with grilled swordfish, tuna and trevally. Recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Ingredients:

Skinless segments of 3 blood oranges (see note)
2 medium-size tomatoes, seeded and cut in 1/2 inch (1 cm) pieces
2 green onions, finely sliced
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 fresh red chili (optional) seeded and finely diced

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix well and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.
2. Cover and stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving so that the flavor develops. Can be stored for up to 2 days in the refrigerator, bring back to room temperature before serving.

Note: If blood oranges are not in season, substitute 2 oranges and 1 grapefruit, segmented and cut into bite-size portions.

Candied Orange Tea Bread

For this simple afternoon tea loaf made with mixed fruit peel, just beat all the ingredients together and bake. Recipe makes 10-12 slices.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
2/3 cup all-purpose (plain) wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup plain wheat meal cookies, crushed
1/2 cup mixed peel, finely chopped
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 ounces (60 g) butter or polyunsaturated margarine spread, melted
7 fl oz (200 ml) milk
1 large egg

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 340-350 degrees F (170 degrees C). Grease a 1 pound (500 g) loaf tin with melted butter and base-line with greaseproof paper.
2. Sift the flours, coriander and baking powder into a mixing bowl; add any wheat husks in the sieve to the bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients and beat well with a wooden spoon for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture is evenly combined.
3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin. Level the surface. Bake for 1 hour 5 minutes, or until well risen and firm to the touch.
4. Leave in the tin, on a wire rack, until cool enough to handle. Turn out onto the rack, remove lining paper and cool completely.
5. Serve tea bread sliced and spread with butter.

Tip: Any easy way to crush the wheatmeal cookies is to put them in a food processor and mix for about 30 seconds. Alternatively, put the cookies in a clean plastic food storage bag, seal it and crush the cookies with a rolling pin. Store the loaf in an airtight container for up to a week; freeze for up to 3 months.

Orange Butter Teacake

Traditionally served at either morning or afternoon tea gatherings, this easy layered teacake with decorative fruit and cream topping also makes a spectacular dessert. Orange butter filling can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept, covered, in the refrigerator. Recipe serves 6-8.

Ingredients:

2 ounces (60 g) butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon milk
1 cup self-rising (raising) flour
2 tablespoons chopped pecan nuts or walnuts
3/4 cup thickened cream
Icing sugar
Orange Butter Filling:
2 tablespoons custard powder
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 ounces (60 g) butter, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten

Method:

1. Grease a deep 7 inch (18 cm) round cake pan, cover base with greaseproof paper; grease paper. Cream butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy, add eggs 1 at a time, beat until combined.
2. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, stir in milk, then fold in sifted flour and nuts. Spread into prepared pan, bake in moderate oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Turn cake onto wire rack to cool.
3. Using a sharp knife, cut cake into 2 even layers, place 1 layer onto serving plate, spread with orange butter filling, top with remaining layer. Beat cream in small bowl with electric mixer until firm peaks form. Cover side of cake with cream and pipe remaining cream around top. Dust cake with sifted icing sugar.
Orange Butter Filling: Blend custard powder with water in a medium saucepan, add remaining ingredients, stir over medium heat for about 3 minutes (or microwave on High for about 3 minutes) or until mixture boils and thickens. Pour mixture into medium bowl, cover; cool to room temperature.

Fresh Orange Cake

Coconut adds extra flavor and texture to this easy, quick-to-mix fruit cake. Recipe serves 10-12.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
8 ounces (250 g) polyunsaturated margarine spread
Grated rind of 3 large oranges
1 cup caster sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups self-rising (raising) flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Icing and Decoration:
3/4 cup icing sugar, sifted
2 ounces (50 g) polyunsaturated margarine spread
4 teaspoons fresh orange juice
Orange slices and mint sprigs, to decorate

Method:

1. Put the coconut and lukewarm milk into a mixing bowl, mix well and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease and line a deep, 8 inch (20 cm) round cake tin or a deep heart-shaped tin.
3. Add the margarine, orange rind, caster sugar and eggs to the coconut-milk mixture; sift over the flour and baking powder. Beat together with an electric mixer or a wooden spoon until evenly combined.
4. Put the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 1-1 1/4 hours, or until well risen and brown. The top of the cake should spring back when lightly pressed.
5. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Remove the lining paper and cool.
6. Beat together the icing sugar, margarine and orange juice until smoothly blended. Spread over the top of the cake. Decorate with orange slices and mint.

Tip: Beat the cake ingredients with a hand-held electric mixer for 1 minute or with the back of a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes. Over beating will make the cake heavy.