Favorite Fruit Salad

Every Sunday we include a fruit salad in our menu. It is usually fresh fruit just cut in chunks
and mixed up which is quite delightful. A few weeks ago, I was asked to do the fruit salad and I decided I wanted to try to spice it up (literally). I searched for fruit salad recipes online and came across one that included a sauce to pour over the top. The sauce almost reminds me of wassail, which I love. This is a variation of that recipe, I've changed it up for my liking. And you can really use any fruits.....apples, blackberries, blueberries, grapefruit, watermelon, etc. We liked it so much that my mom requested it again for Mother's Day dinner.

2 medium bananas, sliced
2 cups pineapple chunks (I like fresh pineapple)
2 medium oranges, peeled and sectioned (or 1 small can mandarin oranges)
2 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
1 cup red seedless grapes
1 pint strawberries, sliced
2 pears, diced

Dressing:
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (I omit because it is sweet enough without)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cinnamon stick

1.In a medium saucepan, combine the orange juice and zest, lemon juice and zest, brown sugar and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
4. Layer the fruit in a glass serving bowl.
5. Remove the cinnamon stick from the sauce; pour the sauce over the fruit.
6. Cover and chill for several hours before serving.

Fruit Salsa

I've seen several different recipes for this, and knew that it was something I was eventually going to make. Well, once again I decided to experiment with it on my fellow book readers. I must say, that even I was impressed. It is quite yummy and a fun little treat to share. I really think the cinnamon chips make it, but you could just use plain tortilla chips. Also, I spent A LOT of time dicing my fruit extremely small because I was making a salsa and eating large chunks can be tricky. I think next time I may save some time and settle on bigger fruit pieces. Mine also turned out quite runny, not sure how to remedy that. I did notice that the longer is sat, the runnier it got; I considered draining off some of the liquid but wasn't sure how that would affect the taste. I think I would have been fine to lose some liquid, so keep that in mind. Overall, a very tasty treat indeed!

1 orange, juiced
1/2 pomegranate (these are not in season, so I used 1 c. of frozen raspberries, thawed. I didn't even chop them, just dumped them in whole)
1 qt. strawberries, chopped fine
2 kiwi, peeled/chopped fine
2 granny apples, peeled/chopped fine
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. apple or grape jelly (I only had strawberry jam so that's what I used)
2 dozen flour tortillas
Cinnamon and sugar
Pam spray

Mix all fruits put in fridge to combine flavors. Cut tortillas into either strips or like a pizza into individual "chips." Put on cookie sheet and spray liberally with Pam; sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes turn and bake 1-2 minutes (I did not want to take the time to turn all the chips over, so I ended up baking them for about 10-11 minutes rotating between the top and bottom rack of the oven - they turned out golden and crispy). Serve with salsa. Makes 2 quarts.

Key Lime Parfait

So I was surfing the web ..... not very often that I get to do that and it wasn't even just for fun, I was a on a mission to find a great camp craft! Needless to say I was browsing some of the most amazing crafty blogs and sites - why are people so dang talented??? Anyway, I came across a recipe for Key Lime Parfaits and it sounded like the perfect thing to make for my dad's birthday celebration. It was super simple to whip up and I wish I would have had some coconut extract - I think it would have been a delicious addition. Probably make it taste more Pina Colada like, which I also love! This would be so fun as individual parfaits as well. Enjoy!

{An individual one I made for my mom with gluten free graham crackers -see how cute}

2 cups of water
1 cup of organic cane sugar
1/2 cup of cornstarch
5 egg yolks, beaten
4 tablespoons of butter, but into bits
3/4 cup of Nellie and Joe's Double Strength Key Lime Juice
1 tablespoon of coconut extract (I did not have this, so I didn't use)
Graham crackers (for my big trifle bowl, I used 2 sleeves)
Whipped Cream (I used 1 pint; and I whipped and sweetened it)

Bring the water to a boil in a medium to large sized pot. Once water boils remove from the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes to cool somewhat.

While the water is boiling/cooling separate eggs and stir together eggs yolks until smooth. Measure out coconut extract and set aside.

Next whisk together sugar and cornstarch until completely incorporated. Add the sugar/cornstarch mixture to the water and whisk until smooth. Return pan to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. The mixture will likely be thick.

Add a ladle full or so of hot key lime mixture to the beaten egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Now add the tempered eggs back to your pot whisking constantly to prevent scrambling. Cook for another minute or two until the mixture is completely incorporated and smooth.

Remove from the heat and stir in key lime juice and coconut extract until smooth. Next add the butter until it is completely incorporated. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to cool slightly.

To Make the Parfaits:

In a dish or individual serving vessel crumbled graham crackers and completely cover the bottom surface of the bowl/dish.

Next spoon in a layer of key lime custard to cover the graham crackers.

Now add a layer of whipped cream on top of the key lime custard.

Repeat this process until your dish/bowl is filled.

Chill for at least 2 hours and serve.

Strawberry Pizza

Another great recipe from my fabulous aunt! It is definitely the time of year to start really cooking and baking with strawberries! This sounds so fresh and delicious to me, plus really simple to put together!

1. Prepare Strawberries
Wash, hull, and slice 2 baskets of Strawberries.
Cover with ½ c. sugar and ¼ c. water. Let stand for 2 or 3 hours.

2. Crust
1 c. Flour
½ c. Butter (soft)
3 T powdered Sugar

Mix all ingredients with mixer. Press into greased pizza pan with hand.

Crust will be about ¼ inch thick. Flute edges. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Crust will NOT be brown, but will be firm.

3. Cream Filling
2 Eggs
1 8oz. package Cream Cheese
½ c. Sugar
1 T Lemon Juice

Cream the cream cheese and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat in lemon juice. Pour cream mixture into hot crust – spread evenly.

Bake at 350 10-12 minutes more until firm. Cool.

4. Glaze
1 c. Juice from drained strawberries
¼ c. Sugar
1 T Lemon Juice
2 T Corn Starch

Drain and reserve juice from Strawberries.

Mix cornstarch and sugar together in pan. Pour juice over sugar mixture.

Stir until melted and then add lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook until cornstarch is clear and mixture has thickened.

Cool. When cold enough, pour over strawberries and gently fold to glaze. Pour strawberries and glaze evenly over cooled pizza. Chill well.

Decorate with whipped cream.

Fruit Pizza

One of my favorite dessert recipes. It is just plain tasty! My first choice for any treat is chocolate, of course. But fruit is a close second and you can't go wrong with a base of sugar cookie, topped with cream cheese and then fruit. The glaze is not necessary, but I wouldn't skip this step, it is too tasty. The other great thing about this recipe is its simplicity. You can either make your own sugar cookie dough, or just buy some (you know I have to promote homemade - it is the best). I am going to include another possible version of a crust below this recipe. I do not like this version nearly as much, but it is an option.

*Thanks to my sista for these great pix*

1 recipe sugar cookie dough (your choice)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. Cool Whip
Fruit & Berries of choice

Glaze:
1/2 c. sugar
2 TBS. cornstarch
1/2 c. fresh orange juice
2 TBS. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. water

Pat cookie dough into a greased 12” pizza pan, or 9” tart pan. Bake just until done, but still soft. Allow to cool completely.

Combine cream cheese, sugar, and Cool Whip. Spread onto cookie crust. Combine glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and cook until thick. Cool. Arrange fruit and berries on top of cream cheese mixture. Drizzle glaze over fruit.




* Another version:
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. powdered sugar
3/4 c. butter, softened

Mix together flour, powdered sugar and softened butter or margarine. Press on pizza pan. Bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool.

For individual pizzas: use 1 package refrigerated sugar cookie dough. Cut in slices and bake. Top with cream cheese mixture and fruit.

Fruit Dip

One of my favorite dips, ever! I remember making this for a cooking demonstration in like the 3rd grade. Of course it's not exactly healthy, but sometimes I will use the lowfat cream cheese, just know it will be slightly less thick with this variation. Enjoy!

8 oz. Cream cheese, softened
Small bottle Marshmallow Creme
Orange rind, grated
1/4 tsp. Ground ginger
2 TBS. Freshly squeezed orange juice

Mix cream cheese, marshmallow creme, orange rind, orange juice, and ginger together until smooth. Serve with any combination of fresh fruit: strawberries, pineapple, grapes, apples, bananas, kiwis, peaches, etc.

Plum Apple Raspberry (Fruit) Crisp

I got sucked into buying the big container of plums from Costco. They really are delicious, but what are the 3 of us going to do with that many plums. I also had been waiting patiently for Costco to get raspberries back in, when they did you had to buy a box of them. Now, I love raspberries but that was a lot to go through.

*Sidenote: the best thing to do with raspberries is to make whole wheat pancakes, sprinkle with raspberries, then top with real maple syrup - yummy!

So with that in mind, I decided to make a fruit crisp. Some of the plums were a bit tart but I thought it turned out quite delicious!

The topping recipe comes from The Barefoot Contessa, I altered her Apple Pear Crisp recipe.

Plum (Fruit) Crisp

2 pounds ripe plums (6 plums)
1 pound apples (3-4 apples)
1 pint raspberries
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the topping:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Peel, core, and cut the apples into large chunks. Cut plums into large slices. Place the plums, apples, and raspberries in a large bowl and add the zests, sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch (or about a 2 quart) baking dish.

For the topping:Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 minute, until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.

Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm.

Creamy Caramel Dip

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1 container (8 oz.) sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 c. cold milk
1 pkg. (3-3/8 oz.) instant vanilla pudding mix

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and brown sugar until smooth. Add the sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice, milk and pudding mix, beating well after each addition. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Serve as a dip for fruit.

Fruit Salad

2 peeled apples cut in bite sized pieces
1 can cube pineapple
1 can mandarin oranges
1 c. flaked coconut
1 small jar maraschino cherries halved
1 c. finely chopped celery
1 pkg. colored miniature marshmallows
1 small container whipped topping

Fold all ingredients together and chill before serving.

*I know this sounds like a strange combination, but it is really delicious. I didn't use Cool Whip; I whipped and slightly sweetened heavy whipping cream.

Acini de Pepe

1 c. sugar
2 T. flour
1 3/4 c. pineapple juice
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
3 qts. Boiling water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oil
1 pkg. acini de pepe macaroni

Combine sugar, flour, juices, salt and eggs. Cook till thickened and let cool. Add macaroni, 1 tsp. salt and oil to boiling water. Cook 8 to 10 minutes; rinse in cold water and drain. Add to thickened mixture. Stir and cover. Refrigerate overnight. Then add:

9 oz. Cool Whip
3 cans mandarin oranges
2 20 oz. cans chunk pineapple
2 c. miniature marshmallows
1 c. coconut (optional)

Mix with refrigerated mixture. Makes large salad.

Grandma's Jello Salad

1 lg. pk. Lemon Jello
2 c. boiling water
2 c. 7-Up
3 med. Bananas, sliced
1 c. small marshmallows
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, (drain, save juice)

Dissolve Jello in boiling water, add 7-Up. Let set until starting to jell. Add bananas, marshmallows and pineapple. Pour into 9 X 13-inch dish.

Topping:
4 T. butter
4 T. flour
1 c. pineapple juice
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. Cool Whip

Melt butter in small saucepan. Add flour, then add juice, sugar and eggs (beaten). Cook over medium heat until thickened. Let cool. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread over Jello.

Cranberry Waldorf Salad

1 lb. fresh whole cranberries, ground
2 c. sugar
2 (20 oz.) cans crushed pineapple, well drained
1 pkg. miniature marshmallows
1/2 to 1 pt. whipping cream, whipped
1 banana
1 can fruit cocktail
1 can mandarin oranges
1 apple
1/2 c. nuts, chopped

Grind frozen cranberries in blender or food processor. Add sugar and pineapple. Yields approximately 4 cups. Freeze 2 cups for later use.

Add mini marshmallows to other 2 cups and marinate overnight. Before serving add whipping cream, bananas, fruit cocktail, mandarin oranges, apples, nuts and any other fruit your family likes.

Delicious Strawberries

1 quart strawberries
1 cup sour cream
1 cup brown sugar

Clean and dry strawberries. Dip in sour cream and then in brown sugar. Can also mix sour cream and brown together to create a dip for the strawberries. So good!!

Fruit Salad

8 oz. can crushed pineapple
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. sour cream
1 small package banana cream pudding
2 c. canned pineapple chunks
2 c. strawberries, sliced
2 c. frozen blueberries, thawed
2 c. green grapes

Mix together crushed pineapple, milk, sour cream, and pudding. In a glass bowl layer pineapple chunks, strawberries, blueberries, and grapes. Top with pudding mixture and refrigerate. (Best if made right before serving).

Raspberry Jello Salad

8 oz. cream cheese
1 pkg. large raspberry jello
1-10 oz. package frozen raspberries
1 medium Cool Whip

Boil 2 c. of water and dissolve jello. Add cream cheese while hot and mix into smaller chunks. Add thawed fruit and fold in cool whip. Sets fast!

Brazilian Fruit Salad

1 medium ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium ripe papaya, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 seedless orange, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 banana, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium apple, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
Sweetened condensed milk to taste.

In a medium bowl, toss to combine fruit. Drizzle with sweetened condensed milk.

Lime Delight

Dissolve 1 pkg. (3oz) lime gelatin in 1 c. boiling water. Stir in 1/2 c. cold water and 1 c. cottage cheese. Pour in square pan. Refrigerate until partially set and then stir in 1 c. mashed pears. Chill until firmly set.

Caramel Apple Salad

1 small pkg. vanilla instant pudding
1 cup milk
1 (8oz) carton whipped topping
6-8 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into chunks
4-6 regular sized Snickers candy bars, cut into bite-size chunks

Mix milk and pudding till blended. Fold in whipped topping. Add apples and candy bar pieces and mix well. Chill until ready to serve.

A strange, but delicious combination. I've also heard of using Baby Ruth bars instead of Snickers.