An all-natural sweetener, honey shouldn’t be limited to dessert recipes. As today’s recipe demonstrates, it works beautifully in salad dressings. 

When shopping for honey, follow the same guidelines used for pure maple syrup: The lighter the color, the milder the flavor. And with more than 300 honey varieties available—from blueberry and buckwheat to orange blossom and wildflower—you’re sure to find a few favorites. 

All of the salad’s ingredients should be available at a well-stocked natural and organic food store. Enjoy!

Citrus Salad with Avocado

Makes 6 servings

1. Preheat oven to 255°F.
2. Slice tortillas into very thin strips. Dry strips by placing on a cookie sheet and baking for approximately 15 minutes. Set aside.
3. Peel oranges and grapefruits. Section and seed them. Place in large bowl, and set aside.
4. In small bowl, whisk together honey, raspberry vinegar, oil and salt. Pour over citrus sections, and toss gently.
5. Top with avocado slices and tortilla strips. 

Recipe and photo courtesy of the National Honey Board

Registered dietitian Cheryl Forberg, nutritionist for NBC’s The Biggest Loser, believes losing weight—and maintaining a healthy weight—can be achieved with a few basic food swaps. 

“A lot of people are afraid that creating a healthier lifestyle will be too hard or too expensive, or that it will require too much time and effort,” says Forberg, coauthor of The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps: 100 Easy Changes to Start Living a Healthier Lifestyle and Positively Ageless: A 28-Day Plan for a Younger, Slimmer, Sexier You. 

In today’s recipe, Forberg swaps fat-free  Greek yogurt for traditional fat-free yogurt. It has the same calorie count, but twice the protein and half the carbs. 

Avocados and oranges are seasonal favorites this month and should be readily available at your local natural and organic food store. 

Sliced Avocado and Oranges with Tahini Yogurt Sauce

Makes 4 servings

1 medium (8 ounces) avocado, peeled and sliced
2 medium (7 ounces) seedless navel oranges, peeled and segmented
4 tablespoons Tahini Yogurt Sauce (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley or fresh cilantro, for garnish
1 teaspoon lightly toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

1. Alternate avocado slices with orange segments on four salad plates.
2. Drizzle 1 tablespoon Tahini Yogurt Sauce over each salad.
3. Garnish with parsley or cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Tahini Yogurt Sauce

Makes 1 cup

3/4 cup fat-free, plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1. Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender. Process or blend until smooth. Sauce should be the consistency of thick cream.
2. If sauce is too thick to drizzle, you may need to add 1–2 teaspoons water.

Recipe courtesy of Positively Ageless by Cheryl Forberg, RD (Rodale, 2008). Photo courtesy of Avocados from Mexico.

Our end-of-the-week recipe is the perfect meal on a hot summer day when you don’t feel like turning on your oven.

On Wednesday, I noted that avocados are a good nutritional choice, as long as you don’t overdo it when snacking on chips and guacamole. But when avocado is the star of the culinary show, you can really appreciate its dietary benefits: One-fifth of a medium avocado has 55 calories, with 3 g monounsaturated and 1 g saturated fat. This means one medium avocado has 275 calories and 25% of your daily limit for saturated fat—not bad if you’re making a meal out of it.

One medium avocado also meets 25% of your daily potassium requirement, 60% of your daily fiber goal and 20% of the following recommended nutrients: vitamin E, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin C and niacin.

California Avocado Grapefruit Salad

Makes 2 servings

2 large avocados
2 ruby red grapefruit (or other sweet variety)
Poppy seed dressing (brand of your choice)
Lettuce leaves

1. Peel and slice avocados. Section grapefruit, removing pulp.
2. Toss avocados and grapefruit with dressing (about 1/3 cup).
3. Serve on lettuce leaves.
4. Optional: As shown in the photo, you can add orange slices and garnish with fresh citrus peel and a sprig of mint before serving.

Note: Because you are committed to organic living, OrganicAuthority.com recommends using certified organic foods, when available, in all recipes to maximize flavor and nutrition, while minimizing your risk of exposure to pesticides, chemicals and preservatives.

Photo courtesy of the California Avocado Commission