vegan avocado and grapefruit salad

with dijon cumin dressing

Avocados are one of my favorite things to eat and, in my opinion, the best way to enjoy it is to cut one in half, sprinkle it with salt, and eat it out of the shell with a spoon. To me, this simple act is one of the most pleasurable things in the world. I wish I could do eat them every day (damn all those calories and fat!).

Sometimes though you just want something different. I had an abundance of both avocados and grapefruits as well as organic baby greens so I googled those ingredients for some inspiration and found many salads. Rather than follow a recipe, I just threw a bunch of stuff together and was rather pleased with myself when the results turned out delicious.

I used to hate all varieties of mustard and refused to eat anything with honey mustard dressing. However, over the past few years my tastes have changed and I've really grown to love all mustard varieties, the spicier the better. Now, my favorite type of dressing is a balsamic vinaigrette with a lot of Dijon in it! This Dijon dressing, flavored with cumin and cinnamon, really enhances the avocado and grapefruit.

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad
makes 4 big salads

• 8 cups of baby lettuce greens
• 2 avocados
• 2 sweet red grapefruit
• a small handful of sliced almonds

1. Throw lettuce into a huge bowl.
2. Dice avocados and add to bowl.
3. Peel grapefruit, segment, remove membranes and add to bowl.

Dijon and Cumin Salad Dressing
makes enough for 4 salads

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons agave
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Blend all ingredients together or whisk furiously to emulsify.