Avocado Grapefruit Salad with Chili-Roasted Almonds

Photograph copyright 2018 Anna Pelzer

This salad (recipe from my first cookbook, Radiant Health Inner Wealth) is refreshing, unusual, pretty, and delicious. It's perfect either by itself as a light lunch, or served alongside a Mexican meal as a side salad. Nutritionally, it’s very high in fiber, vitamins, calcium, iron, and potassium. What a seriously fun way to eat your veggies!

Chili-Roasted Almonds:
1/4 cup slivered almonds
¼ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon paprika
⅛ teaspoon cayenne powder
1½ teaspoons organic sugar or coconut sugar
2 teaspoons tamari, shoyu, or soy sauce

Lime-Orange Drizzle Dressing:
1 tablespoon oil (neutral flavored)
½ teaspoon sea salt
4 teaspoons organic sugar or coconut sugar
1 teaspoon EACH: sesame seeds and tamari, shoyu, or soy sauce
2 tablespoons EACH: fresh lime juice and orange juice

Sexy Salad:
1 ripe avocado
1 large red grapefruit
2 cups (packed) baby spinach

1. To yummify the almonds: Mix all of the ingredients for the chili-roasted almonds together in a small, dry skillet. Set the pan to low heat and toast the almonds, turning very often with a spatula. Cook for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Be careful not to overcook, as they can burn quickly. They will be a little sticky, which is fine. As soon as the almonds are cool enough to touch, remove them from the pan and break them apart with your fingers. If you wait too long, they'll stick to the pan and be more difficult to break apart. Set aside.

2. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and set aside.

3. Peel and chop the avocado. Set aside.

4. To "supreme" the grapefruit, slice in half and cut out the segments with a knife, bypassing the bitter white portion. 

5. Place the spinach in large salad bowls and top with the grapefruit and avocado. Whisk the dressing again and drizzle over the salads. Top with the almonds and serve immediately.

Serves 2 as a main course (or 4 as a side salad); 30 minutes or under! GF/Blue (according to the health guidelines in my cookbooks and coaching programs)