Citrus Salad

Unusual can be good, right? Right? Yeah, whatever. It's good. This salad recipe is definitely unusual in that it combines an unlikely cast of characters to create a side dish that's refreshing, texturally exciting, and is just something out of the ordinary. Orange and grapefruit supremes are combined with the bitter, black licorice-flavored fennel. Sound strange? It sure is! To cut through the bitterness of the fennel, which definitely can be off-putting, the reserved juice from the citrus is blended with fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil for a sweet, flavorful dressing. Toasted chopped walnuts add an extra layer of flavor and a wonderful crunch. Not only is this salad low in fat, but it's naturally gluten- and refined sugar-free. Happy munching!

Citrus Salad (Recipe Adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis)

1 large orange (any kind), peeled and sliced into supremes

1 large grapefruit (white or ruby red), peeled and sliced into supremes

1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs, thinly sliced

1/3 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

1/8 - ¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp. reserved citrus juice

Start by toasting the walnuts in a dry pan over low heat for around 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Remember, if you can smell them, they are done - walnut oil burns very easily, so don't let these go too long.

When you slice the fruit into supremes, put a strainer over a bowl to catch the slices as they fall, plus any juice. Squeeze the remaining membrane to release as much juice as possible. You should end up with a little more than 3 tbsp. of juice, depending on how juicy your fruits are.

Slice off the fennel fronds and stalks. Core the fennel bulb and slice the remaining fennel thinly. Add the fruit supremes and fennel to a salad bowl.

In the bowl of a food processor or in a blender jar, combine the olive oil, basil and citrus juice until you have a uniformly smooth dressing. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and mix to combine. Add the walnuts, mix briefly to coat, and then serve at room temperature or chill and serve cold.

Serves 2 - 4