I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am with the daily increase in daylight. Through my twenties, there has definitely been a pattern of winter related blues and just over all blah-ness. I think most people struggle with some level of seasonal affective disorder, especially us in the more northern and chillier terrains. The combination of darkness and cold really wears on my productivity, my esteem, and my emotions. Its so refreshing and encouraging when daylight savings ends and I can literally feel myself begin to have more energy and internal life. Being able to drive home from work in daylight is such a mood booster and does so much for my ability to get things done in the evenings. I’m anxious and excited for the days when its light enough for an after dinner walk with the future hubs!
Though the weather isn’t sure its spring yet, my taste buds have certainly started their the shift towards wanting vibrant and lighter foods. I stopped at Aldi on my way home from work for just one item, but when I saw the cara cara oranges, my mouth literally watered for citrus flavors. I had recently seen an avocado grapefruit salad online so I decided to make an avocado and cara cara orange salad instead. This salad is a perfect pair for seafood, a spicier dish or, as we did, along side tacos. Just 5 ingredients and 5 minutes is all you need to put together this gorgeous dish — if you’re looking for an impressive salad to serve at your next dinner part, look no further.
Avocado + Cara Cara Salad
Ingredients (serves 2):
- 2 Cara Cara Oranges
- 1 Large Avocado
- ~2 tbsp Olive Oil (medium-high quality)
- Chopped Cilantro
- Sea Salt + Pepper
Directions:
- Peel and slice the oranges into 1/2 inch rounds, then slice the rounds into halves.
- Slice the avocado horizontally with the peel still on, into rounds. When you get to the pit, just slice around the pit and pull the slice off.
- Remove peel from the avocado rounds, it comes off very easily on its own or you can make a small slit and peel.
- Cut the avocado rounds into halves.
- On two plates, arrange the orange and avocado slices in an alternating pattern.
- Drizzle with a generous serving of olive oil, as desired. I use close to 1 tbsp of olive oil, you can use less or more.
A few substitutions and notes about the recipe. While we used cara cara oranges, any citrus fruit could be used in their place. You could also use chopped mint or parley in lieu of cilantro if you’re not particularly keen on cilantro. In the past I have also added a dash of cayenne to a citrus avocado salad, but since we were eating spicier foods with this, I left it as a cooling dish. And lastly, this can easily be served a top a bed of leafy greens; I’d suggest arugula or endive for their bright and zesty flavors.
_______
Comment below and tell me what you think about this recipe. Have you ever had a citrus avocado salad before? Be sure to follow and subscribe to Minding My Soul to ensure you’re getting all of the latest! And if you give this or any other recipe a try, snap a pic for IG and tag me to show the love, @mindingmysoul.
Until Next Time, Friends!
Minding My Soul 