60 yummy recipe ideas and serving suggestions using citrus fruits -

Cooking with citrus fruits—orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, tangerine, and mandarin, for example—adds fragrance and sharp flavor to a wealth of sweet and savory dishes. Whether preparing salads, main meals, or desserts, using tangy, zesty citrus fruits can brighten up even the most mediocre of menus. And what about all that super booster vitamin C and other healthy properties these fruits are famous for? Indeed, they should be an important part of everyone's diet, and by following these ideas and serving suggestions you too can add citrus fruits to your everyday cooking in different and varied ways.

Click through the following gallery and find out how to make your cooking more diverse and delicious using citrus fruits.

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Orange and avocado salad -

A typically Mediterranean plate and super healthy, this salad combo features avocado, mango, and orange garnished with spinach and arugula.

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Roasted chicken with oranges -

This smells as good as it looks, the meaty aroma combing with the intoxicating fragrance of citrus fruit and cranberries. Rosemary with its woody scent works well as a herb with this dish.

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Alici al beccafico -

A time-honored Sicilian recipe but using anchovies instead of sardines, alici al beccafico is prepared by stuffing the anchovies with breadcrumbs, raisins, and pine nuts and cooking in an orange juice-based sauce.

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Sunny orange cake -

A great citrus pastry idea, this dessert option lives up to its name, flavored as it is with freshly squeezed orange juice and orange zest–and crowned with a candied orange topping.

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Red orange cake -

A variation on the sunny orange cake recipe, this version uses red oranges in the mix, a citrus fruit identified by its crimson flesh. It lends foodstuffs a noticeable and delicious raspberry edge to their flavor.

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Hot smoked salmon with orange -

A liberal helping of orange slices together with arugula and cherry tomato provides a contrasting salad for this tasty but light main meal idea.

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Cupcakes with caramelized orange -

Delicate bit-sized cupcakes with caramelized orange and almond crumbs.

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Orange jam -

Better known as marmalade and usually made from bitter orange, especially the Spanish Seville orange, this is one of the world's most popular jams.

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Duck leg confit with orange, honey, and soy -

Controlling the spicing and the cooking time to produce a velvety piece of meat is key to creating this dish. Put simply, confit is a traditional French cooking method where food is cooked in grease, oil, or sugar water (syrup), at a lower temperature, as opposed to deep frying. Duck is a favorite meat, and when served with orange, honey, and soy makes for an intriguing and wholly satisfying culinary experience.

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Orange and mozzarella salad -

A veritable plate of goodness, orange with beetroot, mozzarella, and basil is a simple salad to prepare and packs in a wealth of vitamins and minerals.

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Fettuccine with lime and avocado -

This delicious Italian fettuccine pasta with sliced avocado, feta cheese, spinach, lime and assorted spices is a light and wholesome alternative to meat-based pasta dishes.

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Grilled shrimp sriracha with lime -

Whether as a delicious snack or an appealing appetizer, shrimp sriracha kebabs are simply irresistible. They're prepared by brushing over the shrimp with a sriracha hot sauce, honey, lime juice, garlic, and cilantro mixture before grilling.

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Paella with seafood and lime -

Use shrimps or a seafood combo (squid, mussels, and octopus, for example), and serve with rice cooked in saffron to produce this exceptional Spanish paella. Garnish with lime for a zesty tang.

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Sea bream with lemon and lime -

Two sharp citrus fruits, lemon and lime, compliment this fish dish idea. Pictured is fresh sea bream ready to be cooked and seasoned with pink pepper, sea salt, and plenty of rosemary.

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Coconut lime sweet cake -

There are all sorts of sweet loaf cake recipes out there, and they all work! Try this option using lime zest and shredded coconut (for the cream topping).

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Avocado and lime raw cake -

Why not celebrate the summer season by home baking a blissful avocado and lime raw cake (free from wheat, gluten, egg, dairy, soy, and refined sugar). Decorate with the freshest blueberries and raspberries.

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Laksa curry soup with shrimp and lime -

Laksa soup—a Malaysian coconut curry concoction with shrimp over rice noodles—is usually topped with fresh bean spouts, cucumber, red chili pepper, cilantro, and lime (or lemongrass) for a tangy hit.

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Grilled teriyaki chicken wings with black sesame and lime -

Salty, sweet, and sour grilled teriyaki chicken wings with black sesame and lime is one of those great-sounding exotic belly fillers that's best served with a side plate of steamed rice and broccoli.

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Lime ice cream -

Love citrus? Then whip up this tart but sweet lime ice-cream. Serve with freshly grated zest and mint for extra freshness.

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Scallop ceviche with mango and lime -

Best let the experts create this one for you: scallop ceviche with mango, lime, chilli, and cilantro served with liquid ice smoke.

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Lemon meringue pie -

Who doesn't like lemon meringue pie? Ancient Greece is believed to be the origin of this cherished dessert, and it's been impossible to resist ever since.

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Lemon chicken piccata -

A light and luscious lemon sauce, tangy but not too acidic, is the key to a good chicken piccata. The word piccata describes meat, usually veal or chicken, that is sliced, dredged in flour, then sautéed in a sauce containing lemon juice, butter, and capers.

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Lemon gugelhupf -

Gugelhupf is a cake popular throughout central Europe and often baked with raisins and presented to celebrate special occasions. Made using a bundt pan, gugelhupf appears in regional varieties, one of which is the lemon gugelhupf, topped with icing sugar. You'll need the zest of two lemons, and a good quality limoncello (an Italian lemon liqueur)

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Lemon spaghetti -

One of the easiest recipes on this list, homemade lemon spaghetti is made with the juice of three lemons, lemon zest, olive oil, grated Parmesan cheese, ground black pepper, and a handful of chopped fresh basil leaves. Oh, and spaghetti!

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Lemon loaf cake -

Exactly what you need to soak up that morning coffee or afternoon tea, lemon loaf cake is, well, lemony, sweet, and decadent! Decorate with icing sugar and sliced lemon.

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Baked trout fillets with lemon and garlic -

Trout is a beautifully firm and fragrant fish, and so it works wonderfully baked and bathed in a garlic lemon butter herb sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and enjoy! 

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Grilled chicken fillet -

You can conjure up this super healthy meal using very basic ingredients. Grill the chicken fillets and drizzle with a lemony marinade made with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and oregano. Add green olives for taste and effect.

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Chicken pasta and lemon -

Slice up some tomatoes and a lemon, pop in minced garlic, chopped red onion, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and fry with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Mix with pre-cooked pasta noodles, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and crack open a bottle of white wine. Easy!

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Avgolemono -

Avgolemono actually refers to a Greek sauce made from eggs, lemon, and warm broth. For added depth and texture, add orzo pasta and sprinkle with chives.

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Lemon ice-cream -

It doesn't get much more refreshing than this! The richest lemon ice-cream is made using heavy cream, lemon juice and zest, egg yolks, sugar, and milk.

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Grapefruit salad -

Less is more, so they say, and if it's all about simplicity, then why not prepare a salad using just grapefruit cuts and fresh green grapes?

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Seafood salad with grapefruit -

Salmon, mussels, shrimp, prawn, and white fish, served with arugula and grapefruit... fresh, fragrant, and zingy!

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Fried tofu with grapefruit salad and crab -

This main course option has its inspiration in the creative seafood and salads of the Far East, destinations like Laos and Vietnam.

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Grilled pork with grapefruit sauce -

An unfamiliar combo perhaps, but juicy grilled pork chop steak served with grapefruit sauce is a taste sensation. Slather a marinade of grapefruit, brown sugar, and spices over tender pork loin and Monday suddenly becomes Friday.

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Vanilla sponge cake with grapefruit and mandarin -

Here's a sophisticated dessert idea: delicious vanilla sponge cake covered with cream and grapefruit and mandarin cubes accompanied by strawberry ice-cream.

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Grapefruit granola and yogurt parfait with honey -

Grapefruit's sour-sweet taste is ideally suited to this healthy dessert snack. While the granola provides texture, the  yogurt and honey combine to produce a delightfully smooth and chilly aftertaste.

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Mullet with grapefruit -

Mullet has served as an important source of food in Mediterranean Europe since Roman times, and the idea of frying the fish and serving with grapefruit, orange, and cucumber slices is likely to have found favor with Caesar and his cohorts.

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Grapefruit crush -

A simple summer drink and a real thirst-quencher, grapefruit crush is pink grapefruit juice mixed with a dash of rosemary syrup and served with crushed ice.

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Challah grapefruit French toast -

Challah is a traditional bread in Jewish cuisine, usually braided and typically eaten on ceremonial occasions such as Shabbat and major Jewish holidays. Enriched with egg and similar to brioche, try toasting the bread and topping it with golden grapefruit and mixed spices.

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Grapefruit salad bowl -

Here's an idea where the whole grapefruit is used. Serve up a salad of your choice in a grapefruit bowl—the spheroid skin of the fruit that when empty makes the perfect basin. Waste not, want not, as they say!

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Fried duck with tangerine -

Especially appreciated on cold winter nights, this hearty fare—fried duck brushed with a honey glaze—can be served with tangerines or oranges. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.

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Tangerine chocolate and pistachio -

The question is this: just how long do you think a plate of these delectable homemade tangerine wedges smothered with chocolate and pistachio would last at a party?

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Tangerine cake -

A tip when making homemade tangerine cake is to blend the fruit with the peel. This way the bold, citrusy flavor is infused during the baking process. Sprinkle with icing sugar and slices of mandarin.

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Tangerine and green leaf salad -

Hot outside? Temperature soaring? Cool off with this luscious spinach, arugula, red leaf lettuce, and tangerine combo. If you want, mix in a bit of raw onion for bite and sprinkle with mixed herbs.

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Roast chicken with tangerines -

Orange and tangerine can be combined to compliment any roasted chicken dish. Cranberries and mixed spicy herbs add further character to the plate.

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Panna cotta with tangerines -

Panna cotta means "cooked cream" in Italian, and this traditional Piemontese recipe lends itself to all sorts of interpretations. Try it homemade using tangerine jelly and mint.

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Duck tagine with tangerine -

A classic Moroccan dish, duck really goes well with North African spices. The tangerines add a lovely sweet counterbalance. Use a dash of lemon juice when mixing the couscous and you have a vibrant and tangy tagine in the making.

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Smoked salmon and tangerine salad -

Raw smoked salmon tossed with fennel and arugula and mixed with thin slices of horseradish makes a wonderfully earthy tasting salad. Adding a few tangerine segments sweetens the peppery edge. Go on, give it a try.

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Duck with tangerine -

Duck meat always works well with orange, but for a particularly sweet and tangy buzz, use tangerines for this barbecue option, with a soy sauce and sesame seed dip on the side.

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Smoked salmon and tangerine on rye -

If all you require is a snack, go gourmet with this creamy ricotta and salted smoked salmon delicacy served with tangerine and pea sprouts on toasted rye bread.

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Mandarin and chicory salad -

An organic superfood dish if ever there was one, with butterhead, iceberg, and romaine lettuce providing a comfy bed for a mandarin, chicory, tomato, and horseradish garnish.

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Mandarin salad -

This traditional Chinese salad is a vegetarian's delight composed as it is of thinly sliced ribbon lettuce, red cabbage, carrots, and fried crispy wonton noodles. You can also add bok choy for an especially authentic flavor.

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Salmon fillet with mandarin -

Healthful and appetizing, this dish requires a minimum of fuss to put together. Lightly grill the fish and marry it with a salad of sweet mandarin segments, peppery arugula, and ripe cherry tomatoes.

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Mandarin and gingerbread sorbet -

A winter sorbet (or ice-cream) idea that tastes pretty good in summer too, this wonderfully spicy treat can be homemade using ingredients that include tapioca starch and light corn syrup. Use fresh ginger and mandarin zest for the best results.

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Chicken and mandarin salad -

An inspired and vivacious combination of sweet mandarins, grapes, blueberries, cranberries, and crispy lettuce served with succulent grilled chicken is enough to brighten up the dowdiest of days.

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Mandarin and cream torte -

Wholemeal biscuits provide the base for this oh-so-sweet dessert that's created using a combination of velvety mascarpone cream and mandarin curd. Decorate with tangy fruit segments.

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Mandarin tart -

Top out mouthwatering mandarin tart with a glaze made from mandarin juice and zest mixed with water. Fleck with icing sugar and serve with a smile.

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Spinach and mandarin salad -

Simply delicious, this summertime treat is ready in a matter of minutes using fresh spinach leaves, juicy mandarins, crunchy cashews, and ripe grapes.

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Grilled pork with mandarin -

This outstanding grilled pork option is infused with sweet mandarins, cinnamon, and ginger, and decorated with basil and cranberries.

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Basbousa -

A traditional sweet cake that originated in Egypt, basbousa features a lot in Middle Eastern cuisine. It's made from semolina sweetened with orange flower water, rose water, or syrup, and decorated with almond and, more often than not, mandarin wedges. If you really want to impress your guests, drizzle the sweetened water or syrup over the cakes using a copper jezva (a small, long-handled pot).

See also: How much do you know about marzipan? 

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