My (Current) Favorite Salad

I based this salad on a salad I make for my father-in-law, and I've made it twice in the last week. I love the tangy sweet citrus with the crunchy fennel and creamy avocado. Yum! I love it so much that while Andrew was eating ice cream last night, I got the left over salad out of the fridge and ate the rest of it! If you're looking for a flavorful addition to your Thanksgiving meal, this salad would be perfect.

My (Current) Favorite Salad

for the salad

2 oranges, peeled and segmented

1 ruby red grapefruit, peeled and segmented

1/2 can hearts of palm, sliced

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 avocado, peeled and cut into chunks

1 head butter lettuce, washed and torn into chunks

1 bunch arugula, washed and torn into chunks

for the dressing

1 small shallot, minced

juice from left over grapefruit membranes (or juice of 1 lemon)

juice from 1 left over orange membrane

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1-2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

In a large bowl arrange butter lettuce leaves, arugula, orange segments, grapefruit segments, hearts of palm, fennel slices and avocado chunks.

For the salad dressing, in a blender combine all ingredients and puree. Pour desired amount over salad.

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Crab Salad with Avocado and Grapefruit

So fresh and delightful! I used a recipe from Gourmet magazine that I found on Epicurious to make this but I made a couple of changes. Here is what I did:

Crab Salad with Avocado and Grapefruit

1 large shallot, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
2 pink or ruby-red grapefruit
2 firm-ripe California avocado
Coarse sea salt to taste

Freshly cracked black pepper

16 oz fresh cooked lump crab meat

2-3 chives, snipped

In a small bowl, stir together shallot, lemon juice, and table salt in a small bowl and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Add oil in a stream, whisking to emulsify.

Cut peel, including all white pith, from grapefruit with a sharp knife. Cut segments free from membranes and transfer segments to paper towels to drain.

Halve each avocado lengthwise, discarding pit. Cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices and remove from skin with a large spoon.

On a large platter, place avocado slices and grapefruit segments in an alternating pattern, leaving some open space in the middle. Squeeze grapefruit juice from the grapefruitmembranes over the avocado slices to prevent browning. Sprinkle sea salt and pepper over avocado and grapefruit. Combine crab and dressing and toss gently. Place crab mixture in center of platter and garnish with chives. Serve immediately.

Here is a link to the original recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lobster-Avocado-and-Grapefruit-Salad-109004

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Arugula, Grapefruit & Avocado Salad

I love using fruit in green salads - probably because I love mixing sweet and savory things, but Andrew hates anything sweet in his food except if it's a dessert. So this salad provided a good compromise as I got to put fruit in my salad but it wasn't sweet. I topped organic arugula with grapefruit segments and chopped avocado. For the dressing I used the juice from the left-over grapefruit membranes, one shallot chopped, a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Easy, yummy and just a little different!

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