2 ways to make great fruit salads

Here's the surprise of the season: Crab and grapefruit are the perfect partners for a quick, no-cook salad. The sweetness of the crabmeat and dressing contrast with the tartness of the grapefruit and the slight bitterness of the greens. Here is a great recipe to pull it all together.

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Serves 4

• 4 grapefruit
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) light mayonnaise
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) finely chopped mango chutney
• 10 ml (2 tsp) Dijon mustard
• 5 ml (1 tsp) sesame oil
• 1 ml (1/4 tsp) pepper
• 350 g (3/4 lb) lump crabmeat, picked over to remove any cartilage
• 500 g (2 c) watercress, tough stems trimmed
• 1 endive, cut crosswise into 1 cm (1/2 inch) strips
• 1 head Bibb lettuce, separated into leaves

1. With small paring knife, peel grapefruit. Working over a large bowl to catch juice, separate grapefruit sections from membranes; reserve any juice that collects in bowl.
2. In medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, chutney, mustard, sesame oil, pepper and 45 millilitres (three tablespoons) reserved grapefruit juice.
3. Add crabmeat, tossing to combine. Add watercress, endive and grapefruit sections. Toss. Serve salad on a bed of Bibb lettuce.

• Crabmeat is a classic choice for this refreshing salad, but you could opt for shrimp, lobster, scallops or good-sized cubes of poached chicken breasts.
• Substitute oranges for the grapefruit.

• By using pink or red grapefruit, not only do you add high amounts of vitamin C to the recipe, but coloured grapefruit are packed with beta-carotene as well. All grapefruit is high in fibre and low in calories.

• Key nutrients (per serving): 250 Calories, 50 Calories from Fat, 5 g Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 20 g Protein, 35 g Carb, 8 g Fibre, 410 mg Sodium

Blood pressure nutrients: 137 mg Vitamin C, 85 mg Magnesium, 1332 mg Potassium, 222 mg Calcium

This fruit salad makes a refreshing starter to a main course that features fish.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Serves 4

• 2 blood oranges
• 1 ruby grapefruit
• 240 g (1/2 lb) watermelon
• 75 ml (1/3 c) seedless red grapes
• 20 ml (4 tsp) superfine sugar
• 800 ml (3 1/2 c) unsweetened orange juice or orange-raspberry juice

1. Peel blood oranges and ruby grapefruit, cut them into segments, and add them to a bowl with any juice.
2. Peel watermelon, removing all seeds, and cut into 1.5- to three-centimetre (3/4- to 1 1/4-inch) cubes. Add the watermelon to the bowl, together with seedless red grapes, cutting any large grapes in half.
3. Sprinkle superfine sugar over the fruit and add unsweetened orange juice or orange-raspberry juice. Stir and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

• The easiest way to peel citrus fruit is to remove the top and stem ends with a serrated knife, then place the flat base on a cutting board that has a channel around the edge to catch the juice. Hold the fruit at the top while slicing down between peel and flesh, from top to bottom. Turn the fruit a little after each cut and continue slicing down until all the peel is removed.
• Make superfine sugar by processing granulated sugar in a food processor for three seconds.

• You need vitamin C for healthy bones and skin, and few foods give you more of that vital nutrient than citrus fruits. Vitamin C also acts as an antioxidant, which helps to prevent cell damage, reducing the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.

Nutritional information: 172 Calories, 1 g Fat, 0 g Saturated Fat, 41 g Carbohydrates, 3 g Protein, 4 g Fibre