Basil Poached Oranges and Grapefruit

Although we are in the midst of winter it is citrus season! You will find that many grocery stores, including Walmart are having a celebration of citrus. I am primarily a navel orange type of girl and I don't stray far from this fruit. However, I decided to try my hand at a new recipe and added my own twist to a Food Network Basi Poached Blood Orange and Grapefruit recipe. 

I of course used the navel orange called for in the recipe and I used a small ruby red grapefruit and a mineola tangelo which is a hybrid of tangerine and grapefruit. The ruby red grapefruit I used was so juicy that I literally had juice dripping on the floor as I prepared the fruit for poaching. 

Although the recipe suggests cutting the citrus in rounds, I found that sectioning the fruit enabled me to remove all of the pith easily so that the bitterness was not in my final product.

                                         

 Although not part of the citrus celebration, I used freshly squeezed lemon juice for the poaching. 

                                               

I also tried my hand at using vanilla bean for the first time. On the cooking channels the chefs make retrieving the vanilla beans look extremely easy. It was a bit challenging for me but I was able to scrape the majority of the very sticky seeds from the inside bean. 

I placed water, the vanilla bean, lemon juice and raw can sugar in to a non-reactive pot and simmered for five minutes. I did not bother to strain the liquid prior to pouring it over the sliced citrus and basil. I liked seeing the vanilla seeds in the dish. 

I then placed the entire bowl in the refrigerator to chill. This recipe can be served with vanilla ice cream or lemon sorbet. I was truly looking forward to the sorbet but sadly, none was available at my local Walmart! Since I wanted to keep this recipe as healthy as possible, I decided to use frozen vanilla yogurt for my dessert.

The results were absolutely outstanding! 

This dish really is very simple to make and I think it is a wonderful dessert for a dinner party or even if you have a sweet tooth that kicks in occasionally. The basil and citrus together are delicious and I cannot wait to share this with friends! 

Basil Poached Oranges and Grapefruit

reprinted from the Food Network

Ingredients

• 1 small grapefruit
• 2 oranges
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 vanilla bean, split
• 6 leaves fresh basil, plus extra for garnish
• Lemon sorbet or vanilla ice cream for serving

Directions

Using a very sharp knife, peel the grapefruit and oranges, discarding the skins (be sure to remove all of the white pith). Slice the fruit into 1/4-inch rounds, removing pits as you go. Set aside in a medium non-reactive bowl.

In a medium non-reactive pan, combine the water, sugar, lemon juice. Scrape the seeds from thevanilla bean and add the seeds and bean to the liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes. Thinly slice 6 of the basil leaves and toss over the citrus rounds.

Remove liquid from heat and strain over the citrus and basil. Refrigerate until chilled.

Serve the chilled fruit and liquid over Lemon Sorbet or Vanilla Ice Cream. Garnish with fresh basil.

Disclosure: As a participant in the Walmart Moms Program, I've received product samples and compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.