Clementines, the ultra juicy citrus fruit that is only available for a short time each year, are fabulous for cooking.  Eaten as alone as a snack they are tasty and healthy, but adding Clementine juice, candied Clementine peel, or Clementine sections to ordinary ingredients can create gourmet meals in a very short time.  Foodies and gourmands around the world wait anxiously for Clementines to come into season so they can enjoy the super sweet taste of Clementines with their favorite dishes.

One of the most popular ways to cook with Clementines is to use the sweet juice in smoothies and in baking recipes to sweeten them naturally, without adding sugar.  Clementines are small but contain a lot of juice, so one Clementine can produce enough juice for two smoothies.  Fresh fruit, yogurt, and fresh squeezed Clementine juice blended together makes a delicious healthy treat for dessert or for breakfast. Mix in a little grapefruit juice if you want a smoothie that isn't quite so sweet.

 Substituting Clementine juice in recipes for cookies, pancakes, breads and other baked goods is a great way to impart a slight hint of citrus flavor and a lot of natural sweetness into the finished product without adding sugar.  Here are some other fun ways to use Clementines in your daily cooking:

Salads - Clementine wedges in green salads, like Arugula salad, will balance out the acidity of the tomatoes and other acids in the salad and with the sweet taste of the juice you won't even need dressing.  Make your green salads brighter and tastier by using fresh Clementine wedges as a garnish or tossed with the salad. Clementine wedges and a little Balsamic vinegar are also great with berry fruit salads and really bring out the flavor of the berries.

With fish - Fish dishes often call for a hint of citrus juice to bring out the flavor of the fish and provide balance.  Saute fish with some fresh Clementine zest and you'll be amazed at how good your fish will taste. You can also use Clementine wedges as garnishes for some fish dishes.

With poultry - Clementine juice is a great base for a poultry marinade. Chicken and turkey soaked in a marinade of Clementine citrus juice and spices will stay moist and delicious during the cooking process and will have a wonderful sweet and savory flavor after being cooked.  Clementine peel garnishes or a slight sprinkling of Clementine zest over the top of the main poultry dish is a great finish to the dish and adds a lot of pizazz.