My husband and I live on a citrus and avocado orchard.  Right now in May, we have so many gorgeous avocados, lemons and grapefruits just ready for the picking!  I’m always trying to come up with recipes where I can use fresh, natural and local (it helps when it’s our back yard!) produce.  My sister-in-law mentioned that she loves eating avocado with  grapefruit and that inspired me!   Here’s an amazing salad that you can serve for lunch or dinner.   It’s so light, refreshing and satisfying.

You can eat it for lunch as is, and/or you may want to serve it with some hard boiled eggs or tuna salad.  It’s also divine for dinner with a piece of grilled salmon or a tender filet mignon.  I hope you like it just as much as I do friends! 

Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1.5-2 pink grapefruits (depending upon their size), peeled and each slice of grapefruit cut into 3 pieces
• red onion
• 3 small avocados (or 2 medium), peeled and sliced
• Coconut Oil** (or Coconut oil spray) or extra virgin olive oil (Note:  If you can’t find coconut oil spray in the store. You should be able to find coconut oil.  In hot weather, coconut oil is liquid, in colder weather it is solid.  If you find your coconut oil is solid, heat a little bit in a pan on the stovetop over low heat to melt it).
• 2 large lemons, sliced into wedges or Balsamic vinegar to taste
• garlic salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large bowl, put the washed and chopped romaine hearts. With a knife, peel the red onion then slice the onion in half.  Slice small pieces of onion lengthwise into the bowl of romaine lettuce.

With a sharp knife on a cutting board, cut the avocados in half lengthwise around the seed.  Open the avocado halves to expose the pit.  With a spoon, gently scoop out the avocado meat carefully making sure that as you do, you scoop away from the skin, leaving the skin intact to be thrown away.  Slice the avocado halves into lengthwise pieces and add into the salad mix.

Peel the pink grapefruit.  The gently pull it apart into 2 halves.  Then gently separate each individual grapefruit section.  Cut the individual sections of grapefruit into approximately 3 pieces. With a knife, gently remove (or cut away) any of the white skin membrane that remains.

Add grapefruit into the salad bowl.

Spray or drizzle coconut oil (or extra virgin olive oil) over the salad.  Squeeze the lemon juice from the lemon wedges over the salad.  Add in garlic salt and pepper to taste.  (Note:  I love this recipe with coconut spray or oil, fresh lemon juice and garlic salt  and pepper to taste.  Coconut oil is fantastic for you, READ MORE.  However, you can also serve this salad with extra virgin olive oil and a good Balsamic vinegar.

**You can purchase coconut oil in most grocery or specialty stores.  However, you can also purchase online at:  http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/

©2013 — Maryann Ridini Spencer

Watch Simply Delicious Living with Maryann® on PBS Television in Southern California and in First Run Television Syndication.  For more information, visit:  SimplyDeliciousLiving.TV and RidiniEntertainment.com