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Orange Pudding Sponge Cakes use orange juice to flavor white chocolate pudding.

Sautéed Honey Orange Shrimp is a tasty dish that uses a squeeze of fresh orange juice for flavor.

Take advantage of winter citrus with these zesty Lemon Bars.

Orange Pudding Sponge Cakes use orange juice to flavor white chocolate pudding.

Orange Pudding Sponge Cakes use orange juice to flavor white chocolate pudding.

Sautéed Honey Orange Shrimp is a tasty dish that uses a squeeze of fresh orange juice for flavor.

Take advantage of winter citrus with these zesty Lemon Bars.

Around this time of year, when the landscape is still barren and the weather is cold, a fresh pile of citrus is a beautiful bright spot in the produce section.

Most citrus fruits ripen to their sweetest and juiciest during North American winter, just when we need it the most. Citrus fruits are known to pack a potent punch of vitamin C, which makes them a great food choice during cold and flu season.

I couldn’t resist picking up a bag of navel oranges the other day at the grocery store. Their uplifting scent was a welcome smell on a very cold day.

I also grabbed a bag of lemons. I often use lemons in cooking and I have a citrus squeezer, which makes the task of extracting the juice without getting seeds everywhere a cinch.

One of the tastiest dishes I made recently was shrimp sautéed in butter with lemon pepper seasoning, honey and a squeeze of fresh orange juice.

I used colossal-sized shrimp, which I thawed, peeled, patted dry then left to air dry on paper towels for about an hour before cooking.

Removing the extra water from thawed shrimp is an important step because it helps in replicating the texture of fresh shrimp. I cut and spread the back of the shrimp apart and pat dry the center prior to cooking, which gives the shrimp an attractive, curled shape and makes it easier to see if the inside of the shrimp is cooked thoroughly.

I also used some orange juice to flavor white chocolate pudding, which I scooped into store-bought mini sponge cakes for a quick and tasty dessert.

I couldn’t resist using the lemons to make lemon bars for my husband. His mother used to make them often when he was growing up, so having a pile of homemade lemon bars really brightened his day.

Line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. Add the melted butter, sugar, vanilla and salt to a bowl and stir together. Add the flour and stir until a thick dough is formed and the flour is completely mixed. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and press in to an even layer. Preheat an oven to 325 degrees and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the crust is very lightly browned. Remove from oven.

Add the sugar to a bowl, sift in the flour and whisk together. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice until well combined.

Pour the filling over the crust and set in an oven preheated to 325 degrees. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the filling is set.

Remove from oven and cool for about two hours before cutting and serving. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

1 package of six store-bought mini golden sponge cakes

5-ounce package white chocolate (or vanilla) pudding mix, prepared according to package directions

Set the mini sponge cakes on a platter and lightly dust them with powdered sugar.

Stir the orange juice, extract and zest into the prepared pudding and let sit for about 5 minutes.

Spoon the pudding into the sponge cakes until they are filled and slightly mounded. Set in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes to firm before serving.

Sautéed Honey Orange Shrimp

2 pounds frozen colossal-size shrimp (thawed, peeled deveined and tails removed)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 2 to 3 pinches

2 tablespoons green onions, chopped, for garnish

Place the peeled shrimp on a paper-towel lined rack and pat dry.

Sprinkle the shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and let the shrimp sit for at least an hour. Pat the shrimp dry one more time before cooking.

Add the olive oil and butter to a sauté pan and set over medium-high heat.

When the oil is warmed and the butter melted, add the shrimp and sauté until the shrimp is no longer translucent and beginning to brown.

Sprinkle the lemon pepper seasoning over the shrimp, then add the orange juice and honey. Heat for an additional minute while stirring to distribute the seasonings, then remove from heat.

Season with a few pinches of salt to taste and garnish with green onions before serving.

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