Five-star Salad

I first saw grapefruit salad on the menu at my favorite sushi restaurant in Woodland Hills, Calif. It sounded weird, to tell you the truth. But the picture looked interesting, so I decided to try it. And it blew me away.

Then I did what I always do when I find an incredible new dish-I described it to Chef Jeannette and asked if she could come up with something similar, which is like giving Beethoven a bunch of notes and asking him to “make some music.” She worked her magic and produced this salad, which, I have to tell you, blows the original out of the water.

The thing about grapefruit is that it really does seem to have weight-loss properties. A study at the Scripps Clinic, for example, showed that people who ate a half grapefruit three times daily lost significantly more weight than those taking a placebo. The grapefruit group also showed improvements in a bunch of different metabolic parameters.

Along with promoting weight loss, grapefruit-like all of its citrus fruit cousins-contains a good amount of vitamin C and other helpful compounds. And this salad’s avocados and macadamia nuts are rich in monounsaturated fats, which help support heart health and fight inflammation. And to top it all off, the whole thing is low in calories.

Tangy Tropical Salad
Serves 4

This salad is light and tangy-sweet, addictively delicious, and absolutely perfect for the still-warm days of September.

Dressing
Juice from 1 navel orange

1 tsp. orange zest

Juice from 1 lemon

2 tsp. raw honey, or to taste

Thumb size knob of peeled ginger, chopped

1/8 tsp. sea salt

Salad
2/3 cup grated jicama (or carrot)

3 cups baby spinach

3 cups baby arugula

1 large pink grapefruit, supreme cut (segments cut from the membrane and pith)

1 California avocado, chopped

1/3 cup chopped cilantro, optional

¼ cup macadamia nuts, crushed

1. To make Dressing: Combine dressing ingredients in blender, and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
2. To make Salad: Pour 2 Tbs. dressing over jicama in small bowl. Toss to coat, and set aside.
3. In large bowl, combine spinach, arugula, grapefruit, avocado, and cilantro. Add jicama, and just enough additional dressing to coat lightly. Toss well to combine, and top with macadamia nuts. Serve immediately.

PER SERVING: 186 cal; 3g pro; 12g total fat (2g sat fat); 21g carb; 0mg chol; 98mg sod; 6g fiber; 12 g sugars

Jeannette Bessinger, CHHC, is a certified holistic health counselor and recipe developer. Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, is a nationally known health, nutrition, and weight-loss expert. Bessinger and Bowden have collaborated on numerous cookbooks, including their newest, The 150 Healthiest Slow Cooker Recipes. Visit them online at thecleanfoodcoach.com and jonnybowden.com.

Notes from
Chef Jeannette:
Jicama is a versatile, low-calorie root that works equally well raw or cooked, in sweet or savory dishes. Its juicy, crunchy flesh is a bit like an apple-potato mix. It makes an excellent accompaniment to this combined fruit and veggie salad. Marinating jicama in the flavorful, juice-based dressing will give the salad extra pop. Its peak season in the United States is fall through late spring. Alternatively, for an added boost of color and potent nutrients, you can marinate jicama in about ¼ cup of fresh beet juice for 10 minutes to an hour-just drain well before adding to the salad.