A little citrus to brighten your day

Hooray!! Spring is here... according to the calendar. Trust me... just look to the blue sky and savor the day. Just don’t look down. I’m still in the season of citrus fruits, where they bring color and are sweet, or tart and tangy, to winter menus. Grapefruit, yes grapefruit, adds a twinkling of surprise when you’re tongue touches the tartness of this fruit of when a squirt hits your eye! My advice for squelching squirts... wear glasses! This sunny yellow fruit is packed with Vitamin C and A and potassium, while keeping the sodium content and calories low. A big plus for people who are on specific diets, or a non-plus for those who can’t eat grapefruit because of diet restrictions. A medium-size grapefruit yields about 2/3 c. juice, 1 cup bite-size pieces or 10-12 sections and 3-4 tablespoons of grated peel. For the most juice, leave citrus fruits at room temperature and roll on the counter before squeezing.

GRAPEFRUIT &  AVOCADO SALAD
2 large pink grapefruit
2 medium avocados, peeled, split lengthwise, remove pit
2 T. grapefruit juice

Dressing:
2 T. lemon juice
Salt
Sugar, optional
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
4-8 romaine or iceberg lettuce leaves
2 T. chopped, fresh mint leaves, optional

Working over a bowl to catch juice, cut tops and bottoms from grapefruit. Peel with a paring knife, making sure you don’t leave any pith (the white stuff), cutting all the way through the connective membranes. Using a sharp knife, seperate sections from membrane. (Allow yourself two hours to get this done... just kidding.) Place sections in bowl with juices; set aside. Cut avocados in half-inch strips; set aside.

For dressing: Combine 2 T. grapefruit juice (from bowl), lemon juice, large pinch of salt and sugar to taste (Note: Taste juice, if already sweet, it won’t need much sugar.) Slowly whisk in oil, beating until emulsified (creamy). Arrange lettuce leaves in individual salad plates. Using a slotted spoon, lift grapefruit sections out of their juice. Pat dry. Arrange on lettuce with avocados alternating in a fan pattern. When ready to serve, drizzle dressing over salad. Sprinkle with mint. Serve immediately. Makes four servings. Note: You can prepare all the ingredients ahead of time; refrigerate until ready to serve.

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CITRUS-BLUE CHEESE SALAD
4 c. torn romaine or iceberg lettuce
2 c. spinach leaves, stems removed
1-1/2 c. grapefruit sections, drained
Grapefruit dressing
1 envelope reduced-calorie
Italian salad dressing mix
2 T. crumbled blue cheese

Combine lettuce and spinach in a large bowl; add 1/4 c. dressing, tossing well. Save remaining dressing for another use. Divide lettuce mixture among six salad plates; top each with grapefruit, sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately. Serves six. Again, you can prepare the salad ahead of time as in previous recipe. Leftover dressing can be used over any mixture of greens.

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GLAZED HAM WITH GRAPEFRUIT SAUCE
Glazed Ham:
1 center cut ham steak
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. honey
2 T. grated grapefruit peel
1/4 c. grapefruit juice

Grapefruit Sauce:
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
3/4 c. warm water
1 T. grated grapefruit peel
1-3/4 c. grapefruit juice
1 grapefruit, peeled (pith remove), sectioned, sections cut in half.

Score ham 1/8 inch deep, in diamond pattern on both sides. Place in shallow baking pan. For glaze: In a saucepan, combine next four ingredients; bring to a boil. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Pour glaze over gam. Cover with foil. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil. Continue baking for 30 minutes. Serves 4-6.

For sauce: Combine sugar and cornstarch in small saucepan. Add water, blending until smooth. Stir in grated grapefruit peel and juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook for two minutes. Just before serving, add grapefruit sections. Serve with ham. Makes 1-1/2 c. sauce. Note: Baked whole ham can be served with this ham as well

Thought for the Day: Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.