citrus salad with avocado

It's around this time when yoga studios and gyms in New York start to get less crowded, and eating habits are back to what they were at the close of 2012.  I'm not a big believer of full-fledged diets, though I'm always up to challenge myself with a cleanse.  During these winter months especially, when my body goes into overdrive, leaving me with little time to eat a real meal and lots of time to nibble on (usually unhealthy) bites on the go.  So these past two weeks I've kickstarted my diet with lots of citrus -- and this salad is  just another easy way to incorporate something fresh into my diet.  The mixture of creamy avocado are perfectly balanced with a blend of beautiful peak produce.

For my salad, I used a blend of pink lemons (1), pink grapefruit (1), and blood oranges (1), but feel free to find what's available locally and mix it up.  Cut off the top and bottom of each fruit to insure it's balanced when cutting, then remove outer layers (see pic 3), slice fruit horizontally at desired width.  Plate.  Then top salad with a few slices of shallots (1/2), avocado (1/2), and a sprinkle of coarse sea salt and pepper.  Serves 2-4.  Prep time: 5-10 minutes.