The Cowgirl Chef: Orange you glad it’s winter?

I love this sauce so much I ate nearly the entire batch one evening — most of it by the spoonful. If you can wait, you may also drizzle this over any roasted vegetable, chicken, fish or salad. It’s that versatile — and that good.

• Zest from 1 orange
• Juice from 1 orange
• 2 tablespoons tahini
•  1/2 tablespoon white miso paste
• A few drops sesame oil
• About 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

Put all of the ingredients in a bowl. Whisk in as much warm water as needed — I used 1 to 2 tablespoons — to reach a pourable, somewhat thin consistency.

Nutritional analysis per 1-tablespoon serving: 15 calories, 1 gram fat, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace protein, no cholesterol, 33 milligrams sodium, trace dietary fiber, 59 percent of calories from fat.

Salad:

• 1 small head radicchio
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1 orange, peeled and sliced
• 10 Klamata olives, pitted and quartered
• Black sesame seeds, for serving

Citrus vinaigrette:

• 1 shallot, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
•  1/4 cup orange juice
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

1. Tear the radicchio into bite-size pieces and toss them into a medium-size bowl.

2. Add the avocado, orange slices and olives.

3. Make the citrus vinaigrette. Put the chopped shallot, orange juice, zest, mustard and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in the olive oil.

4. Pour over the salad, toss, and taste for seasonings. Sprinkle black sesame seeds on top.

Nutritional analysis per serving, based on 2: 740 calories, 73 grams fat, 23 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, no cholesterol, 405 milligrams sodium, 6 grams dietary fiber, 86 percent of calories from fat.

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, uncooked
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
•  1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Orange-scented basmati rice with almonds (recipe follows)
• 1 green onion, sliced on the diagonal, for garnish
• A few leaves cilantro, chopped, for garnish

1. Chop the chicken into bite-size pieces and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the ginger, orange juice, soy sauce and minced garlic. Add the chicken and either cover the bowl or pour all of this into a freezer bag (which I prefer, because it keeps the odors sealed in the bag) and place in the fridge for at least six hours or overnight.

3. To a large skillet or wok, add the olive oil, turning the heat to medium-high. When hot, add the chicken pieces and let them sear on one side. Use tongs to flip the chicken to the other side. Because these pieces are so small, this won’t take more than 4 or 5 minutes. Set the chicken pieces aside in a bowl and let them rest for 2 to 3 minutes.

4. To serve, spoon some of the orange-scented basmati rice with almonds in two bowls (I used about 1  1/2 cups in each), and divide the chicken pieces between them. Sprinkle with green onion and chopped cilantro.

Nutritional analysis per serving (without basmati rice): 221 calories, 8 grams fat, 8 grams carbohydrates, 28 grams protein, 66 milligrams cholesterol, 393 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber, 35 percent of calories from fat

Orange-scented basmati rice with almonds:

Makes 4 servings

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1  1/2 cups basmati rice
• 2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1/4 cup almonds, slivered or sliced and toasted, plus more for serving

1. To make the rice, put the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice, stir, and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the rice begins to turn white. Add the stock, plus 1/4 cup of water, and cover.

2. When the rice comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook until the water has evaporated, about 45 minutes. Add the orange zest and slivered almonds, and fluff the rice.

Cowgirl tip: Using homemade chicken stock will up your rice game considerably.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 327 calories, 10 grams fat, 50 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams protein, no cholesterol, 266 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber, 27 percent of calories from fat.

• 1 stick butter, at room temperature
•  1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups oats (regular, not quick oats)
• 1 1/2 cups wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chunks

1. Cream the butter in a stand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.

2. Add the sugars and beat for another 2 minutes. Add the zest and egg. Let the mixer go on medium-high speed 3 more minutes, until light and fluffy.

3. Mix in the vanilla.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oats, wheat flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Pour this into the mixer bowl. Turn it to low speed and let it go for a few seconds. Add the cranberries and white chocolate chunks and mix for a few seconds more. You don’t want to mix on high or overmix at this point. Be gentle with the dough.

5. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Using a big soup spoon, scoop out dough into golf-ball-size pieces, and lay them out on the baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between them. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until they’re browned on the bottoms and just beginning to show color on top. Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and let cool on a rack.

Nutritional analysis per cookie: 125 calories, 5 grams fat, 17 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 15 milligrams cholesterol, 92 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber, 37 percent of calories from fat.