Cooking with Tammy Kelly: For good health, enjoy a clementine a day!

Clementine, the abundant fruit of the winter season, renders a sweet-tangy taste as compared to other varieties of citrus fruits. The juicy clementine, much like tangerines, are extremely easy to work with. Their skin is loose and easy to peel, and the silky flesh inside is virtually seedless (some varieties will turn up an occasional seed).

There's a nutritional payoff, too: an average clementine packs up to half of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin C, folate, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium, and is also a good source of fiber. 

Sweet and Savory Brussels Sprouts 

3 clementines, peeled
3/4 cup pomegranate arils
1/3 cup toasted walnuts/pecans, chopped
3 Tablespoons shallots, minced
2 Tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1.5 Tablespoons sunflower oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat your oven to 450*.

Chop the stems off and slice the Brussels sprouts in half. Chop the clementines in half. Toss all ingredients, except for the balsamic vinegar, in a single layer on large baking sheet. Roast for 20-25min, until the sprouts are tender and golden brown. While roasting, gently toast walnuts or pecans in a pan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until golden brown. Add the balsamic vinegar, scraping the bottom of the pan and gently tossing with the ingredients. Top with nuts and add more salt if needed.  Serve immediately.  Serves 4. 

Clementine Cranberry Salsa

1.5 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup apple slices
6-8 clementines, peeled & segments cut in half or thirds
1/2 cup onion, diced
1-2 jalapeno or Serrano peppers, minced (based on spice preference)
3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced
1/2 cup pomegranate arils
1-2 Tbsp. sugar (optional, depending on desired sweetness)
Avocado and baguette for serving, optional

In a food processor, pulse cranberries and apples until chopped, then transfer to a bowl. Add remaining ingredients, except sugar, and mix well.  Taste and add sugar if desired to sweeten. Slice baguette into thin slices. Toast slices if desired. Spread with mashed avocado and top with salsa.

Crock Pot Clementine Pork Chops

2 thick cut pork chops
5 clementines, peeled 
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 small lemon
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup chicken broth
½ teaspoon ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon pepper
½ to 1 teaspoon chili garlic paste

Slice clementines into small pieces. Place in crock pot. Cover with sugar and juice of one lemon. Let simmer for one hour on high.

Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Add pork and remaining ingredients to crockpot. Turn temperature to low and simmer for 5 more hours until sauce thickens and pork is fork tender. 

Clementine Topped Roasted Salmon

1 1/2 lb. skinless salmon
3 organic clementines, 2 juiced, 1 sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 400°.  Place Salmon on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle cumin, cayenne, salt and black pepper over top of salmon. In a small bowl combine juice from two clementines, garlic, and shallot. Drizzle juice over Salmon and place sliced Clementine evenly over Salmon. Let sit for 10 minutes and then place in oven on top rack for 15 minutes.

Serves 4. 

Southern Clementine Pound Cake with Glaze

Cake:

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pans
3 cups sugar 
8 large eggs, room temperature 
Zest and juice of 1 clementine 
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature 

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar
Juice of 2 clementines 
Zest of 1 clementine 

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven. Grease two loaf pans with butter and dust with flour. 

Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat until light and fluffy, stopping once or twice to scrap down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition; then add the clementine juice and zest and the vanilla. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon to get rid of any lumps. Add the flour to the mixer in two additions, alternating with the milk, and mixing until combined. 

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes, until golden and light. Let the cakes cool for 15 minutes before turning them out of the pans. Set the cakes right side up on a rack to cool. 

For the glaze: In a bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar and the clementine juice and zest. Whisk together until smooth. Apply the glaze to the cakes while they are still warm. 

Clementine Sugar Cookies

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon orange extract*
1/2 teaspoon clementine zest, from 1-2 clementines
2 Tablespoons clementine juice*, from 1-2 clementines

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a separate large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Mix in egg, extract, zest and juice until well combined. Gradually stir in flour mixture until well combined.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls, then roll in granulated sugar. Place on baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned around edges. Let cool on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.  Yields:  3 dozen