Foodie Swellness: Calypso shrimp with Florida grapefruit and avocado salad

Alright, if you’re like me you’ve just about had it with this winter. It’s been a tough one. One saving grace is that grapefruit is at its best right now. And although I’ve been enjoying sweeties, I’ve always got grapefruits in my fridge in the winter. How can you not love that juicy sweet tartness and the incredible hue of its flesh? And let’s not forget about its health benefits: half of a Florida grapefruit provides at least 100 percent of your RDA of vitamin C (so important for a healthy immune system) and it also boasts vitamin A, potassium and fibre.

I usually enjoy my grapefruit plain, but last week at a lunch with Florida Grapefruit, I was treated to delicious recipes developed by the lovely chef Lynn Crawford that incorporated this citrus fruit (which we enjoyed in the lovely upstairs space at Lynn’s restaurant Ruby Watchco). They were all delicious but my favourite by far was the appetizer: Calypso Shrimp with Florida Grapefruit and Avocado Salad. I’ll definitely be making this soon (recipe is below!). I also got tips on how to shop for a grapefruit, here are some pointers:

• The grapefruit should feel heavy (this means it’s full of juice!)
• It should feel firm and be round or slightly flat on the top and bottom.
• Don’t be put off by a less than pretty exterior; when grapefruit grows in subtropical climates such as  Florida, this means that wind, rain and humidity can blemish it on the outside, but inside it’s juicy and delicious.

Craving a grapefruit right now? Me, too! Here’s that salad recipe (I”ll be sure to Instagram it once I make it on my own at home). It’s so refreshing and the grapefruit gives it a tropical taste that’ll have you dreaming you’re eating it with your toes in the sand and with a view of the ocean, which plenty of us living through -40 Celsius temperatures could really use right about now.

Calypso Shrimp with Florida Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tsp grapefruit zest
• 3 Tbsp grapefruit juice
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 2 Florida Ruby Red grapefruits, segmented
• 1 ripe avocado, diced
• 3 cups fresh watercress, tough stems removed
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• 2 Tbsp chopped roasted cashews

Calypso Shrimp

• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 habanero pepper, seeded
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tsp grapefruit zest
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp each brown sugar and ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil (approx)
• 1 lb raw jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

METHOD

Calypso Shrimp: Pulse together onions, habenero, thyme, grapefruit zest, salt, sugar, allspice, cumin and pepper in small food processor. Drizzle in enough oil to form a paste. Coat shrimp with paste and let marinate for 20 minutes.

Grill shrimp over medium-high grill, turning once until cooked through, about 5 minutes; keep warm.

Whisk together grapefruit zest and juice, oil, lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Toss grapefruit and avocado with 1 Tbsp of the dressing.

Toss remaining dressing with watercress, cilantro,  mint and cashews.

Divide shrimp among 4 plates. Spoon grapefruit mixture over top and place watercress mixture on top to serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Leave a Comment February 24, 2015

Watch out for…what?!

And here I thought running in the Palm Desert was scary…snapped this photo while in Fort Myers, Florida, in April.

I was in a car (phew!). Had I been running, I think I would’ve had new personal best hightailing it outta there.

Leave a Comment July 8, 2012

Where in the world are Karen’s nails?

Introducing a new series of posts where I highlight a few of the places my travels take me. Instead of that gnome, it’s my nails popping up in all sorts of fun places

In this edition, me and my nails learn that vacations where your itinerary is to rest (and then rest some more) can be wonderful.

What type of vacation would you choose if you could only go on one this year?

A beach vacation where you could get some downtime? If so, then you agree with many Canadians. Expedia.ca’s annual  Flip Flop survey reveals that 45 percent of Canadians prefer beach vacays (much higher than the global average of 33 percent).

Me? I tend towards go-go-go-go-go vacations. I had 45 minutes in Chicago before having to go catch my flight, and I zipped on down to the Willis (aka Sears) Tower for a quick looky-look. 7AM or so whenever I’m in NYC? You’ll find me rifling through the racks at Century 21.

But a few weeks ago, what I truly needed was a vacay to do absolutely nada. So unlike me. But feeling utterly burnt out, I just needed sun and sand and lo and behold (thank you press trip gods for hearing my pleas!), work brought me to Fort Myers, Florida, just a short cab ride to Fort Myers Beach, where I decided to spend the weekend without even knowing much about the destination other than it had a beach.

Luckily, I was blessed with lovely powdery sand, and warm, shallow water. The most activity I did? One long walk on the beach, where I encountered some pretty shells and a blue crab (OK, so it was permanently sleeping…), along with venturing across the street to grab some food (nothing gourmet — we’re talking cheap diner-y breakfasts at The Munch Box and seafood dinner at The Fish House). My temporary pad at the Carousel Inn, which was roomy and equipped with a kitchen (always a plus, although I only used the fridge), was quiet, clean and affordable — I’d stay there again.

I didn’t head to Times Square (the Beach’s collection of touristy shops way down the road); I didn’t go hunting for shells; I didn’t visit any museums; I didn’t even run (and this was during marathon training!); I did absolutely nada.

And it was just perfect.

Leave a Comment May 23, 2012