Mixed Greens with Grapefruit, Avocado & Citrus Vinaigrette

I think I have a grapefruit problem. Seriously. Right now we have seven grapefruits in our house…yes, seven. Why so many you ask? Well, I would love to say that I am lucky enough to live somewhere warm and have a lovely little grapefruit tree in my backyard, but the truth is nothing like that. Side note: it’s 9º outside right now- a bit chilly for grapefruits I would say. So, since I am not plucking them from my backyard, why would I willingly go out and purchase seven at one time? I wouldn’t, I swear. Okay…maybe I did buy a few, but only four or so. They were on sale, and I mean really on sale, for like .79 each! So I buy a few grapefruits, we eat some and I buy a few more. Then Christmas comes and Santa leaves them in the bottom of stockings (he does this every year…coming from the north pole and all he knows where it’s at – us northerners need our vitamin C in the winter). Just when I thought we might manage to eat them all- we even had grapefruit for dessert one night- my mom gave me four more that my grandmother sent from Florida. Ahhh…grapefruit are taking over my kitchen!
I know, I know, this is really not the worst problem one could have and I shouldn’t be complaining. Actually, all kidding aside, I am not complaining because I really like grapefruit. I am generally a fan of anything that has a tanginess to it, and I am also in favor of really juicy fruits (like peaches that dribble down your chin when you take a bite) so grapefruits are right up my alley. The problem is that there seems to be a limit to how many ways you can eat a grapefruit. You really can’t bake with them, unless you just use the juice but that seems wasteful. You can’t make a stew out of them, or throw them in stir fry or soup. After wracking my brain for awhile I decided that since grapefruit are best eaten in their natural and raw form, that is peeled and sliced, I would add them to the dish that celebrates this very culinary style- salad.
Hmm…but what else goes with a grapefruit that would be good in salad? Avocado! And how about a bit of spicy chicken for protein. Drizzle with grapefruit and lemon vinaigrette and accompany with a thick piece of bread topped with melted cheese, and there you have it – a complete grapefruit meal.
I choose to keep this salad pretty simple on purpose. I really wanted the grapefruit to be the center of the dish and I didn’t want to clutter it up with lots of other ingredients. I thought about adding chunks of sweet red pepper, thin slices of cucumber and red onion, or a bit of crumbled feta cheese. But in the end I stuck with just mixed greens, avocado, chicken and grapefruit. Maybe you like your salad more crowded than me though… go ahead it’s okay, add whatever you want because in the end it’s the vinaigrette that really steals the show.
We had to keep eating salad for days just so we could consume more of this awesome vinaigrette. I think I need to make another batch just to keep around the house. Good thing I have plenty grapefruits.

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Mixed Greens with Grapefruit, Avocado and Citrus Vinaigrette
Serves: 2

2 cups mixed greens
1 avocado, sliced
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tablespoon all-purpose spice rub (recipe follows)
1 grapefruit
1/4 cup grapefruit juice
2 tablespoons grapefruit zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon shallot, minced
1/2 teaspoon brown mustard
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Place the chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound thin. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with spice rub and cook for about four minutes on each side or until no longer pink in the middle. Set aside.

2. Make the vinaigrette. Put the grapefruit juice, zest, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, shallot and mustard in the blender. Pulse a few times to combine. With the blender running, add the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Prepare the grapefruit. Slice off the top and bottom of the grapefruit so it sits flats. Run you knife down the sides of the grapefruit to remove the skin. Be sure to cut off all the white pith because this is where a lot of the bitterness is. Turn the grapefruit on its side and slice into 1/4-inch thick round slices. Cut each slice in half or in quarters, depending on how big your grapefruit is.

4. Assemble the salad. Place a cup of greens each in two shallow salad bowls. Top with half of the sliced chicken breast, half of the grapefruit, and half of the avocado. Drizzle with vinaigrette. This recipe makes 1 cup of vinaigrette so you will have extra.

Print Recipe

All-purpose Spice Rub
Makes: 1 1/4 cups

½ cup coarse salt
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup paprika
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients, using your hands to break up sugar. Store in an airtight container, away from heat and light, up to 6 months.