Broiled Ginger Grapefruit (Vegan, Gluten Free, Grain Free)

Hey all! I hope you had a fantastic weekend! Mine was pretty busy between getting caught up on schoolwork, going to the farmer's market, going up to Denver for more school stuff, working and then a little more school. Get the idea? Fortunately, I love what I'm learning so it's not so bad. Plus, my weekend was kicked off by a pretty fun surprise. 

Thursday night I was working the closing shift with my coworker Lisa. These two guys came in, one with an accent I couldn't quite place, the other with no accent. The accented man ordered his tea a very specific way, the other man said that sounded good and he'd have the same. So after giving them a hard time on their ridiculous specifications (they seemed like they could take it) we hand them their English breakfast teas with the tea bag in first, hot water poured over the top and a side of whole milk. The men thank us for the tea and the no-accent man tells us that the two of them are playing a show tonight and that we should stop by after work. After getting more details from them, Lisa and I decided, what the heck, why not? It was folk music which I love at a bar on my way home anyway. 

What I was not expecting was for the two guys to be so excited and grateful that we came to their show to comp our covers and to actually spend time talking to us while the other was playing (they were two separate solo acts) and not in a creepy-I-wanna-get-with-you-way, just a genuine appreciation. I also was not expecting them to be really good! It was a great night! It's been far too long since I've seen live music. If you want to check them out here are their websites: Delaney Davidson and Possessed by Paul James. It's times like these I wish I had a fancy phone like everyone else so I could have taken pictures. Oh well. Moving on. To grapefruit.

Yesterday morning was cold and rainy so I wanted something warm for breakfast as opposed to my usual smoothie, but I didn't want something heavy like oatmeal or pancakes. Then I remembered I had bought a grapefruit the day before! Molly first introduced me to broiled grapefruit back before we were roommates. I thought the idea sounded interesting (grapefruit was never my thing unless it was loaded with sugar which just sort of defeated the purpose in my opinion), but I figured she was making it so I'd give it a try. It was absolutely delicious! The key is to top it with a little bit of a sweetener before sticking it in the oven. The heat releases all the juices and the sweetener mixes in making it taste wonderful! So the next time you feel like being a little fancy at breakfast or you're hosting a brunch give broiled grapefruit a try. I think you just might like it!

Broiled Ginger Grapefruit

• 1 Grapefruit, halved
• 1 Inch Fresh Ginger, grated
• 2 Tablespoons Honey, Pure Maple Syrup, or Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Coconut Cream
• 1/4 Cup Pecans, chopped
• 1/4 Cup Dried Apricots, chopped

Serves 2.

Set your oven to broil. While it's preheating, slice the grapefruit down the middle and taking a small pairing knife, cut around the edge of the segments and then in between them (this will make eating the grapefruit much easier later and more juices will be released). Drizzle one tablespoon of honey on each grapefruit half. Grate the ginger and sprinkle it evenly between the two halves. Place the grapefruit on a silpat or wax paper in a pan with edges (juice will leak, and you don't want it to end up on the bottom of your oven). Put the grapefruit in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, until the grapefruit turns barely golden brown on the edges. While the grapefruit is baking, chop your pecans and apricots. When the grapefruit comes out, allow it to cool for a couple minutes before touching it. Then move each grapefruit to a bowl and top with a dollop of coconut cream and a sprinkle of pecans and apricots. Serve with a spoon and enjoy!

Options:

-Feel free to get creative with your toppings. My other favorite way to broiled grapefruit is with brown sugar, cinnamon and dried cranberries. 

-If you don't like or have coconut cream feel free to use your favorite yogurt instead.

Grapefruit tends to be one of those polarizing foods. How do you feel about it? 

What's your favorite way to eat it?