Everyone knows that there aren’t seasons in Los Angeles, but that doesn’t mean ripe fruit falls from the citrus trees in my backyard year round. In fact, I’ve been waiting patiently for the turn of the season, so that I might pick a fresh grapefruit for breakfast in the morning.
See I’m of the rather rare sort who loves grapefruit. I mean I really love it. It’s like nature’s own sweet-and-sour candy; I don’t even sprinkle my morning grapefruit with sugar. Why would I? Considering grapefruit has one of the lowest glycemic rankings of all fruits, it’d be like putting chocolate on broccoli.
So what does a low glycemic rank mean?
The way it works is simple. The scale goes from 1 to 100, and just like calories, the lower the GL, the better. The Glycemic Index measures the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar. In low GL foods, the carbohydrates break down slowly and release glucose gradually into the bloodstream. This helps our body more aptly process the food we consume, and it helps us avoid a spike and crash. Low GL foods are key for those looking to manage or lose weight and low GL diets are also helpful for diabetics.
A naval orange has a glycemic value of 42. Pretty good. A grapefruit has a 25. I’m going grapefruit every time. Homegrown is the best, most sustainable option, but fresh from the farmers market is a great alternative. I’ve cut open so many grapefruits this month, my kitchen counter has a near-permanent stickiness, and I have become fixated on finding a way to bring the sour-sweet flavor into meals other than breakfast.
So here is a delightful springtime garden salad with zesty low GL grapefruit.
Springtime Grapefruit Salad
Dressing
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and diced
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Whisk all until well incorporated. Set aside.
Salad
- 2 cups Fresh Arugula or Spinach
- ½ small fresh Jicima, peeled and julienned
- 2 Green Onions
- 1 fresh Grapefruit, peeled and diced into cubes or halves (depending on how big you want your pieces)
- 1 cup Israeli Couscous
- 1 Avocado, cut and diced into small pieces
- 1 ½ tbsp chopped fresh mint
- Cook the couscous and let it cool. Hot couscous will only wilt the lettuce faster.
- Cut up your jicima, grapefruit, avocado, green onion and mint. Set all aside in one bowl.
- In a large bowl combine the cooked couscous, jicima, grapefruit, avocado, green onion, and mint.
- Pour half of the dressing over the mixture so that they soak in some of the juice. Set aside.
- Drizzle the remaining dressing over fresh bed of arugula or spinach.
- Set the blend of couscous and fruits on top.
- Garnish with a sprig of mint and serve!
