HEALTHY COOK

Fruit Salad With Flair Is Perfect for Summer

by CAROL CORLEY

When you sit down to lunch or dinner, your eyes should feast on the food first. Studies have shown that the prettier a dish looks, the better it seems to taste. What better way to sit down to a pretty meal than to have a fruit salad. First, it is colorful, and second, it contains fiber, vitamins and minerals, enzymes, and water. Plus, it tends to be low in calories. Fortunately in Florida, we have lots of wonderful fruits to choose from — starting with berries, which come in so many colors. Berries and citrus are considered by many as the powerhouse of fruits. That would include oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes in addition to our many berries. Also wonderful in fruit salads are watermelon, apple, guava, dragon fruit, kiwi. Many people like to add banana, and a small chopped banana is good for bones. Whatever mix you choose, you should make sure the fruits are fresh. Also, acidic dressings can help keep the fruits from turning brown. To make the fruit salad a bit unique, you can add chopped nuts, figs, avocados, coconut, mint leaves, raisins, and even chopped greens, hearts of palm, and sliced water chestnuts. You can make the fruit extra special by using a melon baller. One potential concern of a fruit salad is that it can be high in sugars, so anyone concerned about that should discuss the diet with their doctor. We usually think of a fruit salad as a dessert, but it can also be a breakfast, lunch or dinner. A fun way to make it for breakfast is to add vanilla yogurt and a sprinkling of your favorite crunchy dry cereal. To make it a lunch or dinner, you can add boiled shrimp or cubed or shredded chicken breast.

Colorful Dragon Fruit Salad

(Adapted from mindovermunch.com) Ingredients: Dragon fruit balls, 1 cup Watermelon balls, 1 cup Cantaloupe balls, 1 cup Blueberries, 1 cup Kiwi, 2/3 cup Mint leaves, 2 tablespoons fresh chopped Pomegranate seeds, sprinkling Lime, 1 juice and zest Salt to taste if desired Directions: Toss all fruit with fresh mint, lime juice and zest, and salt if desired. Decorate with a few fresh intact mint leaves for interest.

Summer Fruits Salad

(Adapted from foodandwine.com) Ingredients: Blueberries, 2 cups Seedless grapes, 1 cup Kiwi fruit, 3 peeled and sliced Strawberries, 2 cups hulled and sliced Pineapple, 2 cups cubed Oranges, 2 peeled and sectioned Bananas, 3 sliced Orange juice, 2/3 cup Grated orange zest, 1/2 teaspoon Lemon juice, 1/3 cup Lemon zest, 1/2 cup Brown sugar, 1/2 cup packed Vanilla extract, 1-1/2 teaspoon Directions: Over medium-high heat in a saucepan, boil orange juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, zests to a boil, reduce to medium low and simmer until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, then stir in vanilla extract, and cool. In a large clear glass bowl, layer washed fruits in your order of preference. Pour cooled sauce over fruit, cover, refrigerate prior to serving.

Chicken, Shrimp, and Fruit Salad

(Adapted from hsph.harvard.edu) Ingredients: Chicken breast, 1 boneless and skinless Shrimp, 14 medium Granny Smith apple, 1 cup peeled and diced Red and green grapes, 1 cup each seedless cut in half Orange, 1 large or 2 medium, segmented and each segment cut in half Garlic, 1 tablespoon fried Shallots, 1/2 cup fried Peanuts, 5 tablespoons roasted, unsalted, chopped Salt to taste Sugar, 1 teaspoon Lemon or lime juice, 2 tablespoons Cilantro leaves, 2 tablespoons Serrano Chilies, 2-3 if desired