Prime time for yummy ambrosia

  • By Elizabeth Karmel Associated Press
  • Thursday, January 9, 2014 6:54pm
  • Life

During Chinese New Year — which falls on Jan. 31 this year — displaying and eating tangerines and oranges is said to bring wealth and luck. Sounds like a fine start to the new year!

It doesn’t hurt that oranges are hitting their prime about now.

I tend to go overboard, always buying more than I can possibly eat straight up. To handle my excess, I often make ambrosia, a lightly sweet treat I grew up with in the South. The two main ingredients are oranges and coconut, both welcome on any Chinese table.

Ambrosia is a simple recipe that in our house was served only for dessert. Fresh orange segments, freshly grated coconut, maybe a sprinkle of sugar — only if the oranges aren’t sweet enough — and that is basically it.

My grandmother topped it with a dollop of real whipped cream, but I personally never liked the whipped cream. I’d rather add a splash of orange liqueur.

When I left home, I thought my grandmother’s ambrosia was as common as peanut butter and jelly. Guess not.

Most ambrosia recipes are served as a side dish, not a dessert, and in addition to oranges and coconut — often canned Mandarin oranges and sweetened dried coconut, not fresh — they include many other ingredients, such as pineapple bits, grapes, bananas, maraschino cherries, nuts, mini marshmallows and creamy ingredients from mayonnaise and sour cream to whipped topping.

These creamy sweet side dishes don’t appeal to me. I prefer the clean, simple flavor of the ambrosia I grew up with. Better, and probably better for you. And that’s a fine start to a fresh year.

Coconut-orange ambrosia

8-10 large navel oranges

2 ounces (4 tablespoons) orange liqueur

2 teaspoons superfine sugar

Pinch of salt

Flesh from 1 fresh coconut, grated

1 sprig fresh mint

Whipped cream

Use a paring knife to cut off the tops and bottoms of each orange. One at a time, stand each orange on a cut side and slice off the peel (including the white pith) on all sides.

One at a time, hold the peeled oranges in a cupped hand over a bowl to catch the juices. Use the paring knife to cut out the orange segments from between the membranes. Add the segments to the bowl. When all of the segments have been removed from each orange, squeeze the membranes over the bowl to get as much juice as possible.

Sprinkle the oranges with the orange liqueur, sugar and salt. Toss gently. Divide between 4 serving bowls. Top with the fresh coconut, a few fresh mint leaves and whipped cream.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 570 calories; 400 calories from fat (70 percent of total calories); 45 g fat (36 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 40 mg cholesterol; 39 g carbohydrate; 12 g fiber; 25 g sugar; 5 g protein; 50 mg sodium.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.