Grilled Grapefruit with Pistachios and Cinnamon Honey

This grilled grapefruit with pistachios and cinnamon honey is a simple enough to make but so elegant for a weekend brunch or guests.

If you know me, then you know that I’m not fancy. I like my feet in the garden and soil on my hands. I drink water, eat whole grains, and fresh fruit is my dessert. However, once in a while, I like to amplify what nature already gave us. Grapefruit in the winter can’t get any better, for certain. But when grapefruit is grilled slightly then topped with toasted pistachios and honey, I’m in heaven. This grilled grapefruit with pistachios and cinnamon honey is my new un-fancy fancy dish ever.

Benefits of Grapefruit

Did you know grapefruits was named because it grows in clusters just like grapes. Its Latin name “Citrus paradise” reminds us of how it tastes like “paradise”. Grapefruits are actually a natural cross breeding between oranges and pomelos (had no idea!). It’s low in calories, tart, sweet, and winter is the perfect season to enjoy it. It’s high in immune supporting Vitamin C, flavonoids, folic acid and phytochemicals.

According to a research by Dr. James Cerda, grapefruit pectin has been shown to be beneficial to the heart through cholesterol-lowering actions, as with other foods that contain pectin. The red varieties of grapefruit are an excellent source of carotene lycopene which is a phytochemical that fights heart disease. It also contains d-limonene “which has well-established chemopreventive activity against many types of cancer”. Botton line is, eat your grapefruit!

Grilling Grapefruit

Certainly nobody has a grill out in the middle of winter, but I do have my handy cast iron grill pan that works in a pinch. When grilled, the flavors of grapefruit amplify and take on a toasty flavor. Simply add a touch of oil to the cast iron in case it needs a little more non-stick help, and grill until nice marks appear. Then cut around the segments with a sharp knife (don’t remove the grapefruit) before topping with honey and toasted pistachios. The honey can be replaced with maple syrup if you’re vegan, and pistachios (although simply perfect in this dish) can be replaced with any nuts and seeds you have on hand.

This dish is:

Fancy

But easy to make

Sweet and a little tart

Nutty

And makes for a delicious breakfast

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Grilled Grapefruit with Pistachios and Cinnamon Honey

Andreea Fegan, www.LittleBitesOfJoy.com

The easiest fancy yet simple way to serve grapefruit: here it's grilled slightly, then topped with a drizzle of cinnamon honey and toasted pistachios.

5 from 1 vote

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Equipment

• Cast iron grill pan

Ingredients

  

• 2 grapefruits, sliced in half, any color
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• handful pistachios

Instructions

 

Grill grapefruit

• First, grill the grapefruit. Add a bit of cooking spray to a grill pan, then add the grapefruit, cut side down. Cook on medium heat, and check after a few minutes to see if grill marks appear. This should only take about 3-5 minutes, depending on the heat of your stove.

Make the cinnamon honey

• As the grapefruit grill, combine the cinnamon and honey in a small bowl.

Toast the pistachios

• In a shallow pan over medium heat, toast the pistachios until fragrant. Toss the pan repeatedly, so they don't burn. This should only take about a minute or two.

Plate

• When the grapefruit are done, plate them and drizzle with the cinnamon honey and toasted pistachios.