[1] A delicious winter sangria made with the season’s blood oranges (photo © Salt And Wind).

[2] There are three varieties of blood orange. This is the rosiest, the Moro (photo © Gelson’s Markets).

[3] The Tarocco variety is less rosy, but just as delicious (photos #2 and #3 © Good Eggs).

[4] Blood oranges also create beautiful upside-down cake. Here’s the recipe.

Blood oranges lovers: It’s high season for the luscious, rosy orbs. Blood oranges are available between October and May, with their prime season right now: February and early March. Select those that are firm to the touch. They’ll keep in the fridge for two weeks.

The red color comes from the presence of the antioxidant anthocyanin, which creates a red, blue, or purple color, depending on a variety of factors from climate to soil. The darker the color, the more anthocyanin in the fruit or vegetable.

These are the compounds that are thought to help prevent cancer and heart disease. (Here’s more about antioxidants.)

Blood orangeslook exactly like regular oranges on the outside, but their inside flesh is a deep rosy red color, and the flavor is a cross between orange and raspberry—some people call them “raspberry oranges.”

There are three main varieties:

 
The Tarocco and Moro varieties are now grown in California. Buy them up and go bloody crazy.

 
 
RECIPE: BLOOD ORANGE SANGRIA

This recipe is from Chef Aida Mollencamp. Prep time is just 5 minutes, plus at least 4 hours to chill.

You can squeeze blood oranges, and many markets also sell ready-to-drink blood orange juice.
 
Ingredients

National Pizza Day is February 9th, and August 24th is National Waffle Day. Americans don’t need a reason to enjoy their favorite foods (pizza ties with burgers on different surveys [source]).

This savory waffles recipe is a celebration food on either holiday. It was developed with a gluten-free baking mix by Pamela’s Products. The Pancake & Baking Mix (photo #3). The gluten-free mix is made with premium ingredients like cultured buttermilk and almond meal and has 8 grams of whole grains per serving.

You can also use a conventional pancake mix (with no sugar added) or baking mix. The waffles can be customized with each person’s favorite toppings.

> The history of waffles.

> The different types of waffles.

> The history of pizza.
 
 
RECIPE: PIZZA WAFFLES

These waffles reheat very well, so make a double batch and freeze some for a quick and easy meal later.
 
Ingredients For The Waffles

 
Ingredients For The Filling

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the filling. Cook and crumble the sausage; drain and chill. In a medium bowl add all shredded cheeses and mix well. Chop the pepperoni and slice the green onions; mix well with the cheeses. Add chilled, crumbled sausage and black olives. Mix all together and chill.

2. MAKE the waffles. In a large bowl, whisk together the Baking & Pancake mix, and all herbs and spices.

3. SEPARATE the yolks from the egg whites. Beat the egg whites with vinegar until stiff. Chill.

4. COMBINE in a large measuring cup or small bowl the pizza sauce, milk, and egg yolks; mix with a fork until well combined. Mix into the Baking & Pancake Mix and stir until smooth, with no lumps. Prior to combining stiff egg whites into the batter…

5. PREHEAT the waffle iron to medium-high. Add the cheese and meat mixture to the pancake mixture and mix until well incorporated. Fold the egg whites into the waffle mixture. It takes a little time for the whites to incorporate. Keep folding until there
are no more streaks of white.

6. BAKE immediately in a well-sprayed waffle iron. Once cooked; keep warm in a 200°F oven, on a rack on a sheet pan, or serve. Serve with the optional ranch dressing for dipping.

7. TO FREEZE: Let the waffles cool on the rack. Wrap in individual wax or paper bags, place in a plastic bag, and freeze.

8. TO REHEAT: When ready to eat, thaw the waffles on the counter as the oven pre-heats to 300F°F. Once up to temperature, put the waffles on a rack on a sheet pan and reheat for 8 to 10 minutes. They will be crisp on the outside and delicious on the inside.

> Here’s another recipe for pizza waffles using strained tomatoes, from Colavita.

 
THE YEAR IN PIZZA HOLIDAYS

Whether you get takeout pizza or make your own, mark your calendars for:

[1] In this pizza waffle recipe (below), from Pamela’s, the flavors are baked into the waffles (photos #1, #2 and #3 © Pamela’s Products).

[2] No syrup or sauce needed: All the flavor is baked inside (however, if you want to dip, use ranch dressing or marinara sauce).

[3] Pamela’s Pancake & Baking Mix.

[4] These pizza waffles take a slightly different approach: Store-bought pizza dough is used for the crust, and your favorite pizza ingredients go on top. Here’s the recipe (photos #4 and #5 © Emily Ellyn).

[5] In this recipe, the waffle hot from the waffle iron is top with marinara sauce, parmesan cheese, and any other favorite toppings. It’s not as need to eat, but we like both versions.

[6] You can also celebrate National Pizza Day with America’s favorite pizza: pepperoni (photo © Mountain Mike’s).

When it comes to entertaining it can be hard to accommodate all diets, and often gluten-free options are limited. Now, with an ever-expanding selection of prepared frozen snacks by Feel Good Foods, everyone can enjoy indulgent treats and have new options for any day of the week!

I first discovered Feel Good Foods in my quest for a tasty version of the potstickers I enjoyed as a child in the midwest, whose family ate Chinese and Italian food almost exclusively.

Feel Good Foods’ gluten-free chicken potstickers have a texture and taste that are a great stand-in for the Hunan dumplings I grew up on; their ground chicken blends perfectly with the fresh, bright flavors of scallions, cilantro, garlic, and ginger.

And preparation is simple; just add a bit of water and a drizzle of oil to a nonstick pan.

The brand also offers potstickers for vegetable lovers and pork fanciers. All three varieties—chicken, pork, and vegetable potstickers—contain a packet of dipping sauce.

I suggest trying the dumplings with your own favorite sauces, especially if you’re feeding a crowd. I usually combine equal parts wheat-free tamari and white vinegar with a few drops of sesame oil.

My other favorites from the Feel Good Foods snack lineup include their:

 
Feel Good Foods’ broad and carefully curated menu of snack options is the secret weapon for hosts who want to take their snacks and appetizers to the next level—especially for big game days, when the assortment of food is half the fun.

Other snack selections include:

 
Find them in the frozen aisle.

See the whole lineup at Feel-Good-Foods.com.
 
Enjoy!

— Georgi Page-Smith
 
 
________________

*Nuoc cham is a salty, sweet, and tangy Vietnamese dipping sauce made from fish sauce, garlic, lime juice, sugar, chiles, and vinegar. You can find it in the Asian products aisle of your market or in Asian food stores. Here’s a recipe to make your own.

[1] Chicken potstickers (all photos © Feel Good Foods).

[2] Chicken potstickers. There are also pork potstickers and vegetable potstickers.

[3] Truffle mac and cheese bites.

[4] The line has three different types of cheese bites.