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Practical Eating

Grapefruits 101

Salad Days

The first time I ever ate a broiled grapefruit was after a sunrise hike up Mt. Kuchumaa at the spa Rancho La Puerto in Mexico. Topped with a little sugar and ginger, the fruit tasted more like a creme brulée than a serving of Vitamin C. I've experimented with toppings since then, including vanilla and brown sugar. My favorite use of broiled grapefruit, though, is tossed in the salad below. It gives a whole new, and more positive, meaning to a "grapefruit diet."

Get this stuff:

• 1 medium ruby-red grapefruit sectioned
• 1/2 teaspoon table sugar
• 1 cup of baby spinach leaves
• 1/4 cup tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/4 cup of red onion, sliced
• 1/2 fresh avocado, diced
• 1 tablespoon walnuts, chopped
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Then do this:

• Remove seeds from the grapefruit and lay on a cookie sheet.
• Sprinkle with a 1/2 teaspoon table sugar.
• Broil until bubbly; remove and set aside.
• Toss spinach, tomatoes, walnuts, and onion with balsamic vinegar and place in salad bowl.
• Top with broiled grapefruit and serve.