Fruit!

Fruit! Apples, Oranges, Grapes, Strawberries, Mango, Banana, Grapefruit, Tangerines, Clementines, Papaya, Raspberries.. on and on and on and on! So many fruits to choose from! So many fruits to cook with ^.^

Fruits are the natural sweeteners in life. http://www.mypyramid.gov says you should have 2 cups of fruit a day.. this is average, but it also depends on your age. 2-4 servings to make up 25% of your 9 servings of Fruits and Veggies a day. The nice thing about eating fresh is that you know exactly what you are putting into your body.

I'm a big fan of finding fruits and veggies from your local area as previously mentioned. You'll be able to find fresh fruits and veggies from your local farmer's markets. Not sure where to look? http://www.localharvest.org/ will get you to the right place. Just enter your zipcode and you'll find markets and farmer's markets where you can get fresh and inexpensive produce. I used to shop at the Brea's Farmer's Market. I could spend 10.00 for a week's worth of produce. At home, my parents have a few fruit trees and a small crop garden. I'll likely provide some tips later on how to grow your own produce provided you have space.

Back to the fruit! Here's some easy quick recipes you can use.


Mom's Fruit Salad

Things you'll need...
2-3 Grapefruits
2-3 Oranges (any kind)
2 Apples (any kind)
2 bananas
Optional: any other fruits you want to add! We sometimes add Cherries, Grapes, Strawberries, raspberries.. it's endless.
1 knife
1 large bowl

Slice the grapefruits in halves. You'll need a small serrated knife to cut each individual section. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl6WkDuGC1g like in this video. Ignore the creepy guy, and the sugar and wine portion. Take a spoon to scope out the meat of the grapefruit from each section. The reason we don't just cut off the skin and cut the grapefruit that way is because we want some of the juice too. Once you have all the meat from the grapefruit into the bowl, squeeze any excess juice from the half. Discard the skin. You'll do this for each Grapefruit and orange.

Use a paring knife or peeler to peel the apples. De-core the apple. I use an apple slicer. Then disgard the peels and the core. Cut the apple into small to medium chunks. Toss them in the bowl. Stir the fruit mixture to coat the apples. Then, peel and slice the banana. If you are using other fruits, always do the banana last. This is so the banana does not get too mushy. It's best to use under ripen ones for this purpose.

I recently added some fresh squeezed lemon to mine. It added the perfect tartness and complimented the grapefruit. You can also add a little bit of heavy cream or whipped topping. The citrus from the orange and Grapefruit will prevent the apples and bananas from going brown. If you like it crunchy, you can also add some unsalted walnuts or almonds.

This fruit salad never stays in the fridge for more than a day.. but it can keep up to 3 days. It's a perfect snack, side dish, breakfast, or dessert.

Apple Strawberry Sauce

Things you need.. for one serving.

1 apple
3 strawberries
1/3 cup of raisins
1tbs of brown sugar
1tsp of cinnamon
1tbs water
1 knife
1 small sauce pot
1 masher (like when you make mashed potatoes or blender/beater)

Wash, peel and cut the apple - discard the skin and core. Cut apple into small or medium pieces and place into sauce pot over medium heat. Wash your strawberries, cut off the tops and discard the leaves/stem. Cut the strawberries into smaller pieces and place over medium heat with the apples. Toss in the raisins. Add 1 tbs of water. Stir while the apples and strawberries get soft. Once the mixture is tender, stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Allow to simmer for 2-5 mins.

Once mixture is soft enough and most of the liquid has burned off into steam.. take your masher and go to town. Make it as mashed to your liking. If you like bigger chunks, only a few mashes will suffice. If you would like it smooth, a blender is the best way to go. Set aside to chill in your fridge. very good applesauce. If you're watching your sugar intake, you can remove the addition of brown sugar. If you don't have brown sugar, using a tsp of sugar will be fine.

Fruit!

Other ways to add in fruit:
Add it to your cereal
Make it into a smoothie
Grill it
Sprinkle some brown sugar on top and put it in the oven for a great dessert.
Add some to salsa
Sauces
Add it to your salad

Share your fruit recipes!