A Texas Twist For Your Thanksgiving Favorites

Want to make your Thanksgiving meals more nutritious, while adding the flair that’s sure to keep your guests wanting more? At Winter Sweetz, we have a secret ingredient you need to raise

eyebrows and delight guests with a fresh, sweet savor that you can only get through our Texas red grapefruit.

 While Thanksgiving meals infused with grapefruit flavors might sound unconventional, the following recipes are packed with flavor. A little forewarning, though. Because this particular spread is so delicious, we can’t be held responsible if friends and family want to continue this zesty tradition for years to come.

 Texas Red Grapefruit and Toasted Walnut Salad 

 Our first recipe is a fresh side salad that’s sure to make your taste buds tingle. As a healthier Thanksgiving side option, you’ll have no regrets for grabbing seconds.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 bag mixed greens (or substitute this for 1 head of romaine lettuce)
• 2 Winter Sweetz Texas red grapefruit, segmented
• 1-2 avocados, sliced 
• ½ cup walnuts, toasted 
• ½ white onion, sliced
• ¼ cup of pomegranate arils
• Olive Oil (to taste) 
• Brown sugar (to taste)

Then, for the dressing gather:

• 1½ tsp kosher salt 
• ¾ tbsp dijon mustard 
• 1 medium lemon, juiced
• fresh ground black pepper to taste 
• 1 tbsp maple syrup 
• ⅓ cup olive oil

Once that is done, follow these easy steps: 

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 
2. While the oven is coming up to temperature, slice the avocados and segment the grapefruit. Once it is ready, toast the walnuts in the oven for 10 minutes.
3. Take the pomegranate and harvest the arils from it. You can do this by slicing the pomegranate in half. Then, with the opened side facing down, tap the back of the pomegranate half to free the arils.
4. Next, take the olive oil and drizzle it over the onion. Sprinkle in the brown sugar and cook for 20 minutes until they begin to brown and caramelize.
5. Grab the bag of mixed greens and dump into a large bowl. Lightly toss.
6. Prepare the dressing. Take the mustard, lemon juice, maple syrup, salt, and pepper and mix in a small bowl. Then, slowly whisk in the olive oil until the mixture has emulsified.
7. Drizzle over the mixed greens, lightly toss again to coat, and sprinkle the arils as a garnish.

Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Serves: 6 

Cranberry and Texas Red Grapefruit Relish

An exciting twist on a traditional Thanksgiving favorite, this recipe will surely be one you prepare again year after year. 

First, grab these essentials:  

• 2 tbsp of canola oil 

• 2 tbsp of fresh ginger, finely grated 
• 1 small red onion, finely diced 
• 1 cup Winter-Sweetz Texas Red grapefruit juice 
• 1 cup of orange juice 
• 1/2 cup pure cane sugar 
• 1 pound fresh or frozen cranberries 
• 2 tsp of orange zest,  finely grated 
• 2 Winter Sweetz Texas Red grapefruit, segmented 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley, chopped

Then, do this: 

1. In a medium saucepan, heat up the canola oil over medium heat.
2. Then, add the onions and the ginger into the saucepan and sauté for five minutes or until soft.  
3. Now, combine the grapefruit and orange juices into the saucepan and add in the sugar. Bring it all to a boil until the sugar has melted and the juices have reduced slightly.  
4. Take half of the cranberries and add them in, stirring occasionally until the mixture begins to thicken. Toss in the remaining cranberries and cook for 5 minutes or until they start to pop.
5. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the orange zest and Winter Sweetz Texas red grapefruit segments. Next, season the side dish with salt and pepper and transfer it into a bowl. Mix in the parsley and serve at warm.

Prep Time: 30 min 

Serves: 6 to 8 

Roasted Turkey with a Grapefruit and Chile-Spiced Chocolate Glaze

The star of your Thanksgiving dinner has arrived and the smoky, tangy, and sweet flavors of chile, Winter Sweetz Texas Red grapefruit, and chocolate in one dish are sure to have everyone asking for leftovers to go.  

First, gather these ingredients:

• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 Winter Sweetz Texas red grapefruit 
• 2 oz Texas bittersweet chocolate (or your choice of dark chocolate) 
• 1 tbsp chile powder 
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• Salt and freshly ground pepper 

For the roasted turkey, you’ll need: 

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 turkey (10-12 pounds)

To complete the turkey cream sauce, get: 

• 1 tsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp salt 
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 2 cups chicken or turkey stock 
• 2 cups heavy cream 
• 1 tbsp Winter Sweetz Texas red grapefruit & Spiced Chocolate Glaze (see steps below)

Now do this:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. 
2. Grate about 1 tbsp of the zest from your Winter Sweetz Texas red grapefruit. Slice the grapefruit in half and squeeze its juice into a saucepan, preventing any seeds from falling in. After that, add in the grapefruit zest.  
3. Bring the grapefruit juice to a boil until it reduces to about 1 tablespoon’s worth of liquid. Then, lower the heat to a simmer. Toss in the butter to melt, and add the chocolate. Stir the mixture until smooth.
4. Sprinkle in the chile powder and cinnamon, drizzle in the honey, and add a dash of salt and pepper, then stir all of the ingredients. Keep the mixture warm, and set aside about 2 tablespoons’ worth of it for the sauce.Take a basting brush and apply the glaze to the turkey. Then, roast the turkey for 5 minutes at 425 degrees on a rack within a large roasting pan, lowering the heat to 350 degrees afterward. Baste the turkey with some of the melted butter and add ¼ cup of turkey stock or chicken broth to the bottom of the roasting pan to prevent the drippings from burning.
5. Bake the turkey for 1½ hours. 
6. Lower the temperature to 250 degrees, and then add a splash of stock back into the pan.
7. Baste turkey with butter and bake for another 1½ hours more. When its done, take the turkey out of the oven and place on a cutting board to rest for 30 minutes before carving. 
8. Now, set aside the juices from the roasting pan into a saucepan. Then, set the roasting pan on a burner on your stove on high heat. Add remaining stock and deglaze it, getting every bit of that delicious fond off from the bottom of the roasting pan. 
9. Strain the resulting liquid into the saucepan and bring to a boil, reducing it to 1 cup’s worth of liquid. Add the cream, reserved 2 tablespoons of turkey glaze, and the lime juice, then salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and whisk until smooth, creating a rather light sauce. 
10. Pour the gravy into a gravy boat, carve the turkey, and enjoy!. 

Prep Time: Around 4 hours to prepare and bake, or depending on size or weight

Serves: 8 to 10

Grapefruit Cream Pie

 Finally for dessert, enjoy a fresh take on Thanksgiving pie with this delectable alternative. Its filled with just as much flavor with less of the guilt. 

 You’ll need the following:  

• 1 cup fresh Winter Sweetz Texas red grapefruit juice
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2/3 cup of blue agave (with an additional 3 tablespoons’s worth for the cream) 
• 4 large eggs 
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 pie crust  
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
• A pinch of salt 

To create this delicious dessert:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 
2. In a large bowl, measure out and pour in the flour. Slowly pour in the grapefruit juice and whisk it to blend the mixture smooth. 
3. Then, whisk in 2/3 cup of the blue agave, the eggs, and the evaporated milk with a pinch of salt.  
4. Gently pour the combined ingredients into the pie crust, lightly tapping the pie on the counter to bring the bubbles to the surface. Place the pie in the oven. 
5. Bake the dessert for 50 to 60 minutes or until the outside edges of the filling are set. The interior of the dish should still be a bit jiggly. If the crust has turned dark, lay a flat sheet of foil over the pie and continue baking it. Then, cool the pie completely before proceeding by placing it on the counter for a moment or by placing in the refrigerator. 
6. Once the dessert has adequately cooled, whip the heavy cream in a mixer along with three tablespoons of the blue agave. You’ll know that the whipped cream will be done when firm peaks form. Next, scoop the whipped cream onto the top of the pie. Set the completed pie into the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it. 
7.  Finally, garnish the pie with fresh Winter Sweetz Texas red grapefruit slices right before plating and enjoy!

Prep Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Serves: 12

These flavorful, unique dishes are sure to become family favorites for Thanksgiving. Remember to grab your Winter-Sweetz Texas red grapefruits at authorized retailers or have your grocer contact us at (956) 424-7775 to grab our grapefruits today!