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Sunny Citrus Recipes + How to Use Lots of Citrus

Sunny Citrus Recipes + How to Use Lots of Citrus

The abundance of homegrown citrus this time of year in Los Angeles is a peak reason I love being a Californian. You see front yard Meyer lemon trees groaning with yellow orbs. Pomelos and grapefruits frame driveways, and trees impossibly heavy with oranges regularly warrant a double-take. Being surround with this much citrus is happy-making. Especially if you can get your hands on it. And did I ever. My dad’s neighbors generously dropped off a huge crate of Meyers, mandarins, oranges, and Eureka lemons the other day – a legit “bend with your knees” box. So here I am jotting down the ways I’ve been using it, saving it, and the citrus recipes I’ve been making all week.

A Week in Citrus

I thought I’d start by talking through everything I’ve done with citrus in the past week. It has been a mix! I’ll include recipes down below for the pastes and syrups.

  • Kosho: I started a batch of Meyer lemon kosho. Kosho is traditionally a spicy, fermented Japanese Yuzu paste, but because lemons are more plentiful here, I tend to use them.
  • Citrus Peel Pastes: I also blended Meyer lemon, Eureka, and orange peels into a number of quick (unfermented) pastes, and froze them in single use quantities. I’ll write up the recipes down below. I use them to season and boost everything! From pastas and soups to rice bowls and roasted vegetable tacos.
  • Most of the mandarins were simply peeled and popped into mouths, but a few have made it into my favorite citrus salad (I’ll highlight that down below).
  • Meyer Lemon & Rose Geranium No-heat Syrup: I love the intensity of no-heat syrups, and made a thick, intensely flavored Meyer lemon syrup by massaging lots of lemon peel with sugar and rose geranium leaves.
  • Orange No-heat Syrup: Same process as the lemon syrup, but kept it to orange peel here. See the recipe below.
  • Citrus Ice Cubes: After peeling citrus and making pastes or syrups, all of the juice was frozen in ice cube trays for future use in drinks, granitas, soups, etc.

My Favorite Citrus Salad

I love this salad. It has a mix of citrus segments, peanuts, red onions, a few saffron threads and almond extract along with good olive oil. The recipe is in Super Natural Simple which will be out next month. There’s more information (and so many good soups & salads) here.

How To Efficiently Peel Citrus

Ok, let’s talk about peeling citrus. There was a lot of it going on this week. Peeling citrus isn’t a quick task. Know that going in, and you’ll enjoy the process much more. I basically have three moves (see below). 1. Start with clean, dry citrus, and slice citrus from top to bottom in wide slabs. 2. Trim all the bitter pith away. To do this, keep the peel flat agains the cutting board, and trim away from yourself. 3. Scrape any remaining pith from peel with the dull or “flip-side” of a knife.

What about the Juice?

Lots of peel means lots of juice. Sometimes we just drink it, or use it over the coming days. But, if you freeze the juice in ice cube trays you end up with easy to thaw portions for use in dressing, granitas, soups, curries – basically any place where you can imagine a sunny citrus boost!

So Many Ways To Use Citrus Peel Pastes

Citrus peel pastes are fragrant flavor blasts. You can make them as simple or complex as you want. I tend to keep mine pretty straightforward, but love the addition of garlic – quite a lot of it. You might add spice blends, mix citruses, you could use other oils in place of olive oil, etc. Here’s how I put them to use after making them:

Orange & Garlic Citrus Paste (recipe below) is super garlicky and was amazing combined with a healthy amount of cayenne pepper, water, and coconut milk to make a beautiful broth for soba noodles – season with more salt to taste to make it just right. I also put a dollop on my lunchtime chana masala and loved the way it brightened everything up. It was also incredibly good dolloped on top of a bowl of this Fire Broth Noodle Soup. And lastly, I used it as a finishing accent on roasted vegetable tacos (cauliflower & mushroom) on homemade corn tortillas. Orange & Garlic Citrus Paste is pictured below.

Meyer Lemon & Garlic Citrus Paste (recipe below) was perfect tossed with a bowl of pan-fried golden artichoke hearts. The next day I tossed a generous amount  of the citrus paste with hot noodles, extra olive oil, pasta water, lots of scallions, a bit of torn mozzarella, herbs and broccoli – so good! And it was the perfect slather across the top of a simple buckwheat and gruyere crepe the other night.

No-Heat Citrus Peel Syrups

Heating fruit changes the flavor profile. As I mentioned up above,  I love the intensity, and uncooked clarity that rings through citrus peel syrups. Made by patiently massaging citrus peels with sugar and leaving to macerate, you strain and end up with an intense, full-bodied syrup to use in countless ways. A favorite this week was an easy drinking dark rum cocktail made with a splash of orange syrup, a shot of dark rum, shaken with tons of ice and topped off with pampelmousse La Croix, and a kiss of lime juice.

 

Cookbooks Focused on Citrus Recipes

Citri – I love this little 60-ish page cookbook zine by Loria Stern. I’ve encountered Loria and her beautiful creations a number of times since moving to Los Angeles (thanks to Jessica & Joanna), and she made sure I had Citri at the perfect time – peak citrus season. It’s a love letter to citrus with 25 bright and brilliant recipes.

Also, have a look at Citrus : Sweet and Savory Sun-Kissed Recipes by Valerie Aikman-Smith and Victoria Pearson, Pucker: A Cookbook for Citrus Lovers by Gwendolyn Richards, and also Citrus: 150 Recipes Celebrating the Sweet and the Sour by Catherine Phipps.

More Citrus Recipes from the Archives

There are a lot of citrus-centric recipes in the 101 archives, and I’ll put them in the related searches below, but these two recipes have been exceptionally popular over the years. A few years back, I also linked out to a bunch of great winter citrus recipes here.

Candied Citrus Lollipops: Two-ingredient magic. Plump, juicy, citrus segments coated in thin, crunchy, sugar shells. They’re the perfect, delightful sweet treat.

A Spectrum of Citrus Salts: Citrus salts made from all sorts of winter citrus zest – clementines, wild lime, Meyer lemon, kalamansi oranges, and mandarinquats. Couldn’t be simpler.

Let me know your favorite ultra citrus centric recipes and resources. And in the meantime, I hope you find a bit of inspiration here, especially with the citrus peel pastes. Enjoy! -h

 

Orange & Garlic Citrus Paste

I mentioned all the ways I used this paste throughout the week up in the main post. Have fun and experiment! Be sure to peel all the pith from the peels. It’s intricate work, but worth it.

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 1/2 cups / 6 1/2 oz / 185g orange peel (from ~10 oranges)
  • 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 2/3 cup / 100g peeled garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Place all ingredients into a blender. Pulse into a paste, scraping down the sides of the blender once or twice to get all the good bits mixed in. Refrigerate, and freeze any paste you won’t use within the week.
NOTES

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

 

Meyer Lemon & Garlic Citrus Paste

I mentioned all the ways I used this paste throughout the week up in the main post. Have fun and experiment! Be sure to peel all the pith from the peels. It’s intricate work, but worth it. Also, if you want a spicier paste toss in a de-stemmed jalapeño (seeds and all), or boost with cayenne to taste.

INGREDIENTS
  • 230 g / ~2 cups Meyer lemon peel (from ~20 lemons)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
  • 1/2 cup / 75g peeled garlic cloves
  • 1/3 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Place all ingredients into a blender. Pulse into a paste, scraping down the sides of the blender once or twice to get all the good bits mixed in. Refrigerate, and freeze any paste you won’t use within the week.
NOTES

Makes about 2 cups

No-heat Meyer Lemon & Rose Geranium Syrup

No problem if you can’t find rose geranium, just skip it! And yes, you can certainly try this with standard Eureka lemons.

INGREDIENTS
  • 100 g Meyer Lemon Peel (from 8-10 lemons)
  • 200 g sugar
  • A few small rose geranium leaves
  • 2/3 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Place the lemon peel (no pith!), sugar, and rose geranium in a medium bowl.

  2. Massage aggressively with clean hands for 5-10 minutes. Until sugar and citrus begin to meld and the peels begin to release their essential oils.

  3. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Stir in lemon juice, re-cover, and refrigerate for another 12 hours or so, stirring whenever you remember. Strain syrup into container, pressing on the solids to get every last drop. Chop and save the peel solids for use in baked goods like biscotti, muffins, granola, shortbread, cakes, and the like.

NOTES

Makes about 1 cup.

 

No-heat Orange Syrup

Use in cocktails, over ice-cream or yogurt, on pancakes.

 

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 1/2 cups / 6 1/2 oz / 185g orange peel (from ~10 oranges)
  • 370 g sugar
  • 2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Place the orange peel (no pith!) and sugar in a medium bowl.

  2. Massage aggressively with clean hands for 5-10 minutes. Until sugar and citrus begin to meld and the peels begin to release their essential oils.

  3. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Stir in orange juice, re-cover, and refrigerate for another 12 hours or so, stirring whenever you remember. Strain syrup into container, pressing on the solids to get every last drop. Chop and save the peel solids for use in baked goods like biscotti, muffins, granola, shortbread, cakes, and the like.

NOTES

Makes about a cup.

 

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Cheesy Vegetarian

Vegan Tomato and Black Bean Stew

Black beans are without a doubt my favourite bean (and my kids’ favourite too), and I absolutely love this simple black bean stew. It’s nothing fancy or complicated, just good, honest food – simply black beans in a rich tomato sauce, cooked with a few straightforward spices, and served up however you like. And best of all, it can be on the table in less than half an hour.

A portion of tomato and black bean stew served with rice, lettuce and sour cream.

This easy recipe uses canned black beans, because who’s got time for cooking dried beans on a busy weeknight – or any other time?! Certainly not me, and I love using canned beans for a quick dinner. Just simmer them until the stew is nice and thick, and they really could not be more delicious.

🍚 How to Serve Black Bean Stew

I’ve made this dish dozens of times, and served it in so many different ways. It’s a really versatile recipe. Here are some ideas for how to serve this easy black bean stew:

  • simply served with rice (and toppings, like avocado and sour cream)
  • wrapped up in a soft tortilla to make an amazing bean burrito
  • loaded into a taco shell with salad and extra toppings
  • heaped onto a baked potato
  • served with lots of roasted veggies (crispy potato wedges would be great)
  • with tortilla chips on the side for scooping

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🥗 Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for tomato and black bean stew laid out with text overlay.
  • black beans. Canned black beans ensure this recipe is quick and easy. If you prefer, you can cook dried beans from scratch beforehand, then follow the recipe as written.
  • onion – I used half an onion, because I find a whole large onion is too much in this recipe. If you’d rather not have half an onion left over, try to just use a small one instead.
  • tomatoes (try to use good quality ones)
  • tomato paste
  • garlic – I used minced garlic from a jar, but fresh garlic would also be fine.
  • smoked paprika
  • ground cumin
  • fresh chilli (or chilli flakes, if you prefer) – I always choose a small, mild chilli. I do like things quite spicy, but adding too much spice can spoil a meal very quickly! If you’re not sure how hot your chilli is, start with just a small amount – you can always add more later.

Becca’s Top Tip

If you find you sometimes get stomach issues from eating too many beans or other legumes, make sure you rinse canned beans before cooking with them. This can help to wash away the gas-inducing substances from the beans.

📹 Recipe Video





Overhead shot of rich tomato and black bean stew with rice and lettuce.

🖨 Printable Instructions

Vegan tomato and black bean stew on a plate with rice and lettuce.

Print

Vegan Tomato and Black Bean Stew

A super easy vegan black bean stew, with a rich tomato sauce and beautiful spices. This is such a versatile recipe!
Course Main Course
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 3 people
Calories 266kcal
Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 1/2 onion (or 1 small onion), finely diced
  • 1 tsp garlic puree (or 4 cloves garlic, minced)
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 small mild chilli, finely diced (or 1/2 tsp chilli flakes)
  • ~ 5 medium tomatoes, diced
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 x 400g tins black beans, drained (480g, or ~ 2 1/2 cups, in total when drained)
  • 75 ml (~ 1/3 cup) water
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the diced onion, and cook for around 5 minutes, until fairly soft but not browned.
    Finely diced onions cooking in a frying pan.
  • Add the garlic, smoked paprika, cumin and chopped chilli, and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. You can start with just half of the chilli if you’re unsure how hot it is.
    Spiced onions cooking in a frying pan.
  • Next, add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste, and cook for 5 minutes, until the mixture forms a thick, tomatoey paste.
    Rich tomatoes and onions cooking in a frying pan.
  • Add the drained black beans to the pan, along with the water, salt and pepper. Cover with a lid, and allow to simmer for at least 5 minutes – leave it longer if you have time, ideally more like 15-20 minutes. The mixture should be thick and rich. You can remove the lid for the last few minutes if your stew needs thickening up.
    Rich tomato and black bean stew in a frying pan.
  • Serve warm. I like to serve mine with rice and a dollop of sour cream.
    Vegan tomato and black bean stew with rice and lettuce.

Video





Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 40.7g | Protein: 13.6g | Fat: 6.8g | Saturated Fat: 0.8g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 478mg | Potassium: 954mg | Fiber: 14.3g | Sugar: 5.5g | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 4mg

💭 Recipe FAQs

Can I prep this bean stew in advance?

Yes – this stew will reheat nicely, so it’s no problem to prepare it in advance. Once it’s cooked, allow it to cool, and store in the fridge in an airtight tub until you’re ready to reheat.

How should I reheat any leftovers?

You can reheat any leftovers in the microwave, or in a pan on the stovetop. You may need to add a splash of water when reheating if the stew has dried out a little. Ensure the beans are piping hot before serving.

Is this recipe vegan / gluten-free?

Yes! This bean stew is both vegan and gluten-free.

🫘 Other Black Bean Recipes

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Vegan tomato and black bean stew on a plate with rice and lettuce.

Vegan Tomato and Black Bean Stew

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Ricotta and Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

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Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers

Mexican baked eggs topped with melted cheese.

Mexican Baked Eggs

The post Vegan Tomato and Black Bean Stew appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

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