Florida Grapefruit Recipes

 

 

Seasonal A-Peel

With the UK just experiencing one of the coldest winters on record (still) it’s time to bring a little sunshine to your life with juicy Florida grapefruit. The delicious and nutritious fruit, in season from November to May can help you look and feel great, it’s the perfect antidote to the winter blues.

 

 

Five reasons to embrace Florida grapefruit this season

 

 

 

The sweet taste of Florida
Despite grapefruit having a reputation for being bitter, Florida grapefruit is in fact incredibly sweet. Ripened in the glorious Florida climate the fruit is much sweeter than its Mediterranean cousins, containing over 10% more juice than grapefruit grown in dry desert conditions, and is the perfect breakfast treat.

 

 

Rehydrate this winterIf you had a few too many cocktails on holiday this summer and are in desperate need of revitalisation, eating a Florida grapefruit rehydrates and provides a much needed boost of vitamins to get you back on track.

 

 

Celebrity fans
Grapefruit has been known as a favourite health snack of the stars for decades, with starlets dating back to Marilyn Monroe being fans of the fruit. Apparently she swore by its health and beauty-boosting properties – Florida grapefruits are vitamin-rich and are packed full of anti-oxidants that help support collagen production to help keep skin looking youthful.

 

 

Fight off the flu seasonPacked full of vitamins, iron and essential anti-oxidants, each Florida grapefruit helps give your immune system the kick start it needs to fend off those winter germs. Each ½ grapefruit provides 100 per cent of your recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C, which is proven to help fight against infections and speed up the healing process.

 

Slimming down before Summer?High in dietary fibre and low in calories, with only 60 calories per half fruit, Florida grapefruit is the perfect ingredient to help you get slim in time for the Summer.

 

 

 

Florida grapefruit and Pecan Muffins

 

Ingredients:

1 grapefruit only use the zest and flesh
120g muscovado sugar
2 eggs
125ml fresh orange juice
250g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb
50g chopped pecans
100ml melted butter

Bake for 20-25 minutes
Preheat the oven to 200c

Method

1. Take off the top and bottom of the Florida grapefruit so that it sits flat, then cut into 4, remove the pips and roughly chop including the skin
2. Place the chopped Florida grapefruit and sugar into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the egg, orange juice and melted butter and combine
3. Sieve all the dry ingredients apart from the pecans into a bowl, mix in the orange mixture and fold through the nuts until the mixture is just combined. Try not to over mix
4. Pour into 12 muffin cases in muffin tins and bake for approx. 20-25mins

Florida grapefruit wholemeal breakfast pancakes

Ingredients:

100ml natural yoghurt
200mls skimmed milk
1 egg
1 tsp bicarb
100g SR Flour
75g Wholemeal SR flour
½ tsp salt
1tbsp sugar
50g melted butter
Grated zest of 1 Florida grapefruit and the segments

Method

1. Zest the grapefruit and set aside. The peel and segment and leave in its juice
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together inc the grapefruit zest. Mix all the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl. Then mix both together, but don’t over beat it. Leave the batter to sit for 10 mins
3. Melt a little butter or spray a little oil in a frying pan and when it is hot, ladle in. Turn, when the pancakes form little holes on the top. (Half a ladle gives a nice American style pancake)
4. Serve with the fresh grapefruit segments

 

Florida grapefruit , strawberry and mint Smoothie

 

Ingredients

A Florida grapefruit

1 banana

4/6 strawberries

100ml greek style yoghurt

1-2 tablespoons honey

4 large mint leaves

Method

1. Cut the Florida grapefruit into halves, then cut a slice about 1cm thick, this will be used for garnish later. Remove the skin from the rest of the grapefruit and place the fruit into a medium sized jug.

2. Roughly chop the banana and strawberries and mint leaves and add it to the grapefruit along with the yoghurt and whizz with a blender. This can also all be done in a food blender or smoothie maker.

3. Add honey to taste and whizz again. Taste the mixture - if you prefer it slightly sweeter then add more honey.

4. Pour the liquid into glasses, garnish with the sliced grapefruit and serve immediately.

 

Florida grapefruit and seabass ceviche tacos

Ingredients

480g sea bass fillets

1 lime, juice only

Florida grapefruit, segmented, half used for juice the other half chopped.

A handful of fresh chopped coriander

4 spring onions very finely sliced

1 red chilli, very finely sliced

Salt and pepper

4 tacos shells

Method

1. Slice the fillets as finely as you can, and place them in a bowl; add the lime juice, Florida grapefruit juice and chopped segments, chilli, onions, coriander and seasoning.
2. Heat the tacos in the oven or microwave. Combine with your fingers, and place in tacos . Serve immediately.

 

Champagne and Florida grapefruit Jellies

 

Makes 4 x approx. 200ml portions

Ingredients

6 leaves gelatin

Approximately 500ml champagne/prosecco/sparkling wine

2 tbsp. Florida grapefruit juice

Zest of 1 Florida grapefruit

4 segments of Florida grapefruit

100ml water

60g caster sugar

Method

1. Soak the gelatin leaves in cold water for about 5 minutes.
2. In a pan, heat the water, 100ml of wine, Florida grapefruit juice and zest and the sugar until hot and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat. Squeeze the excess water from the gelatin leaves and add to the pan, stirring until it has dissolved too.
3. Pour into a measuring jug and top up to 800ml. Let this cool.
4. Take 4 segments and place 1 at the bottom of each glass, then pour the jelly on top and set in the fridge for at least 4 hours