In the Kitchen with Sigona’s Featuring Grapefruit
Grapefruit & Greens Salad with Avocado, Pistachios and a Grapefruit Vinaigrette
This is a cheerful salad for winter. The a tangy pink grapefruit awakens the palate while the dried cranberries and pistachios add more layers of flavor, interest and delight to the dish. Leave off the cheese if you wish. Adapted from The Olive Oil and Vinegar Lover’s Handbook. Serves 4.
Vinaigrette:
- 3 Tbsp Sigona’s Grapefruit White Balsamic
- 1 Tbsp minced shallot
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 Tbsp Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Salad:
- A mix of spinach and arugula, a generous handful per serving
- 2 medium avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced lengthwise
- 2 to 3 Rio Star grapefruits, peel and pith sliced away, fruit supremed* or sliced into rounds
- About 1/3 cup pistachios
- About 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano, optional
Directions: For the vinaigrette, whisk the balsamic, shallot, Dijon and honey together in a bowl. While whisking, drizzle in the olive oil, mixing until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a large serving dish or on individual salad plates, arrange the greens with a few slices of avocado and grapefruit supremes or slices in an attractive pile. Sprinkle with the pistachios and cranberries, then top with Parmigiano Reggiano shavings, if using. With a light hand, drizzle a little of the vinaigrette on the salad/s. Serve remaining vinaigrette on the side.
*Supreming citrus: It takes time and patience, but is well worth the effort! To do this, cut the top and bottom off of your citrus fruit. Slice the peel from the fruit, top to bottom, getting as close to the flesh as possible. Once the peel is removed, slice any remaining pieces of white pith from the fruit so no white remains. Then, working over a bowl to catch the juices, slice closely along the sides of each membrane to neatly remove the citrus segments in between. And there you have it!
Grapefruit and Avocado Salad with a Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
Simple, healthy and delicious! This is lovely as a side to white meats or as a brunch feature. A great way to start the New Year! You’ll likely have vinaigrette remaining, so save it to toss with a green salad topped with grilled chicken or steak, avocado and grapefruit. Inspired by Ina Garten. Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients:
- 2 large Rio Star grapefruits
- 2 to 4 large ripe avocados, more or less depending on size
- 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice**
- 1/2 to 1 tsp. kosher salt, to taste
- 3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup Sigona’s Meyer-Lemon Fusion Olive Oil
Directions: Begin by supreming* the grapefruits and collecting** the juice that drips out.
Place the mustard, grapefruit juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified. Taste; add more salt if desired. Set aside.
Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and use a large spoon to carefully scoop the flesh from the peel. Cut each half into 5 or 6 thick slices. Gently toss the avocado slices in the vinaigrette to prevent them from browning.
Arrange the avocado and grapefruit in a pattern on a circular plate or a long platter. Spoon about a third of the vinaigrette on top, sprinkle with a little more salt pepper, and enjoy. Serve remaining vinaigrette on the side.
*Supreming (or segmenting) citrus: Cut the top and bottom off of your grapefruit. Slice the peel from the fruit, top to bottom, getting as close to the flesh as possible. Once the peel is removed slice any remaining pieces of white pith from the fruit so no white remains. Catching the juice drips in a bowl, slice closely along the sides of each membrane to neatly remove the sections in between (these are the supremes). Set the supremes aside, discard the rest. Squeeze any remaining juice from the membranes and the sliced peels, if desired or needed.
Maple & Brown Sugar Glazed Grapefruit with Yogurt and Granola
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 grapefruit sliced in half horizontally
- 2 tsp. real maple syrup or use honey, divided
- 2 tsp. brown sugar divided
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt regular, Greek or other
- At least 1/4 cup granola your choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Place the grapefruit halves cut-side-up in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish. Spread 1 teaspoon of syrup over each half of the grapefruit, followed by one teaspoon brown sugar.
- Bake the grapefruit for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes.
- Place each half in an individual serving dish; top each with 2 tablespoons yogurt and sprinkle with granola. Serve.
Citrus Salad Drizzled with a Spiced Satsuma Vanilla Cream Balsamic Reduction
Grapefruit has a zing to it, as you know, but mixing it with other citrus and drizzling the array with a sweet balsamic reduction softens the punch. This dish is nice as a side for breakfast or served simply as dessert (if you serve it along side a scoop of yogurt or gelato, we won’t tell anyone). Inspired by Sunset. Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Sigona’s Satsuma Vanilla Cream White Balsamic
- A pinch of ground cardamom
- A pinch of ground allspice
- 2 Texas Rio Star grapefruit
- 2 Navel or Cara Cara oranges
- 2 blood oranges
- Zest of one lime
Directions: Bring the balsamic and spices to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low to allow mixture to simmer and reduce reduce by half, stirring occasionally. This takes some time, but have patience and do not increase the heat or the reduction will be too hard. Once reduced, remove from heat and allow to cool a little. It will thicken as it cools.
Meanwhile, slice the peel and pith from the citrus: Cut the top and bottom off of your citrus. Working form top to bottom, run a sharp knife down the side of the fruit, removing both the pith and peel to leave only the fruit by getting as close to the flesh as possible. Go back over it to slice off any remaining pieces of pith from the fruit so no white remains.
Slice the citrus horizontally into rings about 1/4-inch thick. Arrange the fruits either on a platter or on individual serving dishes, providing about 2 of each variety per person. Drizzle half or all of the balsamic reduction over the dish and finish with lime zest. Serve immediately.
Dark Chocolate Balsamic Whipped Ricotta Toasts Topped with Slice Citrus and Crushed Pistachios
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 8 oz 1 cup whole milk ricotta
- 2 Tbsp Sigona’s dark chocolate balsamic plus more for drizzling, if desired
- 2 oranges or satsumas
- 2 medium pink or ruby red grapefruit
- A couple tablespoons crushed pistachios raw or roasted
- 4 slices bread of choice such as a multigrain or marbled, toasted to desired toastiness
Instructions
- Whip together the ricotta and balsamic until well combined. Set aside.
- Slice off the peel from the citrus fruits using a knife so no peel or pith remains: Start by cutting off the peel from the top and the bottom, then slice the peel off the sides working from top to bottom around the fruit. Cut the fruit horizontally into slices about 1/4” thick.
- Spread about 2 Tbsp of the whipped ricotta onto each slice of toast. Lay the citrus slices on top, overlapping in a pattern (about 4 to 5 slices each toast). Sprinkle the toasts with crushed pistachios and drizzle with additional dark chocolate balsamic, about 1 to 2 teaspoons each, if desired.
Grapefruit-Infused Balsamic Shrub
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 2 Sigona’s grapefruit white balsamic 6 tablespoons (see below)
- Half a pink grapefruit sliced into supremes* (save the rest for garnish)
- Simple syrup to taste**
- Ice
- Club soda or sparkling water as needed
- Garnishes: rosemary sprigs grapefruit slices
- Optional: Add liquor as desired such as vodka or gin
Instructions
- Add the balsamic to a bowl or medium glass measuring pitcher.
- *To supreme citrus: Cut the top and bottom off the fruit. Slice the peel from the fruit, top to bottom, getting as close to the flesh as possible. Once the peel is removed, slice any remaining pieces of white pith from the fruit so no white remains. Working over a bowl to catch the juices, slice closely along the sides of each membrane to neatly remove the citrus segments in between.
- Add the grapefruit supremes to the balsamic and use a muddler to lightly mash them for a few seconds. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes then strain; discard the muddled fruit.
- To concoct the drink, add ice to an 8 oz. glass. Add 1 jigger (9 tsp) of the balsamic, the simple syrup if using (start with 1/2 tsp) and top with club soda. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a half-slice of grapefruit.
- **To make simple syrup: Combine equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool to room temperature or chill in the fridge before using.
