The months leading up to Christmas are fair game for sugar-y cookies, extravagant holiday party appetizers and lots of heavy foods that leave our pants a little more snug than before. That’s why January is the perfect time to find healthier options that are still flavorful. For this winter citrus salad, we decided to do a mix of greens and citrus fruit. To add even more flavor, we planked the citrus fruit on a Red Oak plank, which has a subtle nutty smoke flavor. The fruit can be planked on the grill or in the oven.

Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 Wildwood Grilling Red Oak Planks
  • ¼ of a whole ripe Pineapple, peeled and cut into spears
  • 1 white Grapefruit, cut in half horizontally
  • 1 Tangerine, cut in half horizontally
  • 2 Blood Oranges, cut in halves horizontally
  • 4 Tbsp. Pomegranate Seeds
  • ½ cup Olive Oil
  • 2 Tbsp. White Wine Vinegar
  • ¼ cup fresh Citrus Juice (use leftover citrus cores from step 3 to juice)
  • Salt and Black Pepper
  • 4 cups Salad Greens (Arugula, Baby Kale, Mustard Greens), washed, dried
  • 4 Tbsp. crumbled Goat Cheese or Feta Cheese
  • Pecan halves to taste

Chef's Tip

For extra fruity flavor,
substitute the white wine
vinegar with pomegranate vinegar.

Directions:

  1. Soak planks in hot water for at least 15 minutes.
  2. Place the citrus fruits cut-side-down alongside the pineapple spears on the planks and broil for 10-15 minutes, flipping the fruit to the other side halfway through. Remove from the oven. Let cool.
  3. Peel the skins off of the citrus by placing the halves cut-side-down and trimming around the fruit with a knife moving top to bottom. Then, holding fruit in one hand, use a knife to slice and release the segments out of the membranes. Reserve the segmented cores for the dressing.
  4. Slice the pineapple into 1/2-in pieces.
  5. Make the dressing: use the leftovers from the oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit to juice, and mix with olive oil and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  6. In a large bowl, mix the greens and the fruit, sprinkle with cheese and nuts. Serve and dress to taste.

To add even more natural flavor to your salad, cook the Pecans on a Cherry grilling plank.

Pro tip: Add pumpkin seeds and almonds as well.