Grapefruit, Avocado and Arugula Salad

Originally this recipe is supposed to be made with arugula and Fennel, however I didn't have any fennel so I just mixed 2 bunches of arugula with 1/2 a head of green leaf lettuce (red would have been better). I initially made this recipe to go with some fish I had, but I once the whole thing was ready I took one bite of the fish and decided it wasn't worth a night of puking. I tossed the fish and just ate the salad. I had some left over and had it with boneless/skinless chicken breast, that I heated separately, the next day. It was super tasty.

The dressing was really yummy, a tiny bit Asian tasting (ginger and sesame oil). The only thing I would change is to increase the amount of dry mustard or use actual mustard, good dijon if possible. The components of the salad interacted really nicely: the sweetness of the grapefruit, the spiciness of the arugula and the creaminess of the avocado.

I think the original recipe with the fennel would be amazing and I would SERIOUSLY like to try it next time I have some fennel.

Bottom Line: I give this recipe 4.5 Stars

Dressing Ingredients
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Method
Whisk first 10 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper.
Using sharp knife, cut between membranes of grapefruits to release segments.
Toss chopped/torn arugula and green leaf lettuce. Arrange grapefruit segments and avocado slices on top. Drizzle dressing over salad.

Homemade Vitamin Water

Drinking water is a serious issue for me. I don't much care for water, unless it's really cold and I'm really thirsty I don't enjoy drinking it. Drinking flavored waters is expensive, and they almost always add corn syrup and shit that I don't really want either. So for the next month I'm going to be doing my own flavored water.

One thing I would like to mention is I don't think these need to be left overnight, but you do need to let them sit at least a couple of hours. I also think that you can re-use stuff at least one time. For instance this week I'm doing Lemon, Cucumber and Mint, and I've refilled the pitcher, without changing the ingredients twiee. The flavor tends to change (the lemon looses a little oomph and the mint get's stronger), if you're on a budget I would recommend this. Also, I tend to just crush herbs like mint, basil and sage. It brings out the flavor and you don't end up with a bunch of green things stuck to the sides of your pitcher.

1) The classical : lemon/cucumber:
Mix in a pitcher: 

8 cups of water  

0.5 cucumber and a lemon, thinly sliced  

1/4 cup fresh crushed basil leaf or 1/3 of crushed fresh mint leaves. 

Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

2) The granite : Strawberry/Lime or Raspberry/Lime
Mix in a pitcher : 8-10 cups of water  

6 strawberries  or Raspberries 

one thinly sliced lime  

12 crushed fresh mint leaves. 

Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

3) The digestive : Fennel/citrus
Infuse 1 to 3 grams of dried and crushed fennel in 150 ml of boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Allow to cool.
Mix in a pitcher 8-10 cups of water 

lemon juice (put the leftover lemon in the mix) 

1 small thinly sliced orange 

12 fresh crushed mint leaves 

The infusion of fennel seeds. 

Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

4) The antiOX : Blackberry/Sage
Note that a part from the berries, sage leafs is the herb that has the highest antioxidant content.
Mix in a pitcher : 8-10 cups of water  

1 cup of blackberries that have been very slightly crushed  

3-4 sage crushed leaves. 

Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

5) WATERmelon : watermelon/Rosemary
Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of watermelon cut into cubes + 2 rosemary stems. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

6) The exotic : Pineapple/Mint
Mix in a pitcher : 8-10 cups of water  

1 cup of pineapple cut into cubes 

12 crushed fresh mint leaves

 Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

7) The traditional : Apple/cinnamon
Mix in a pitcher : 8-10 cups of water 

1 cup of apple cut into cubes 

2 cinnamon sticks 

2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. 

Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

8) The zingibir : Ginger/tea
In advance: heat 1 teaspoon of ginger in two cups of tea, let it cool down.
Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water with two cups of the ginger tea 

4-5 pieces of fresh ginger cut into cubes. 

Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.