I’m planning a special New Years Eve dinner…and I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to clean up my diet after a barrage of Christmas treats I joyfully indulged in.  This recipe with three superfoods will be my “starter” if you will, for all these wonderful reasons….With its high fiber content and low glycemic load, grapefruit is a secret weight-loss weapon. One whole, medium avocado contains 17 grams of carbohydrate and a impressive 11 grams of fiber. That’s almost half of the daily recommended minimum intake of fiber, also providing an excellent dose of those good-for-you, unsaturated fatty acids. Lastly, adding fennel to your dietary regimen is a great way to promote good health, since a preponderance of evidence suggests it promotes weight loss as well.

Dressing:
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon minced peeled ginger
1 teaspoon dried mustard
1 teaspoon oriental sesame oil

2 large pink grapefruits, peel and white pith removed

1 pound fennel bulbs, trimmed, cut into paper thin slices
2 large avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, cut into thin slices
2 cups arugula

Whisk first 10 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper.

Using a sharp knife, cut between membranes of grapefruits to release segments.
Spread fennel slices over large platter. Arrange grapefruit segments and avocado slices atop fennel. Drizzle with dressing over salad. Arrange arugula atop salad.

(recipe from Bon Appetit, November 1997)

Ingredients:
2 La Tortilla Factory low carb tortillas or, Ezekiel Tortillas
Two 1/2-inch-thick peeled eggplant slices
1 large portabello mushroom
1 red bell pepper, halved, seeds removed
1 small zucchini, ends removed, cut lengthwise into 4 slices
4 oz chicken tenders (cooked)
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp. crushed garlic
2 dashes black pepper
1/2 avocado

Directions:
Spray grill well with nonstick spray, and bring to medium-high heat.

Grill all the veggies for 5 minutes with the grill cover down. Flip and grill for 5 more minutes. Remove from grill and allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a small dish, combine avocado, basil, and garlic, and mix well. Set aside.

Once veggies are cool enough to handle, cut mushroom cap and pepper halves into slices. Then warm tortillas slightly in the microwave or on the grill.

Spread half of the avocado mixture onto each tortilla. Place a slice of eggplant, zucchini, mushroom, pepper and chicken on each tortilla and sprinkle with black pepper. Roll each tortilla up like a burrito.