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I have a VERY bad habit.
A fruity habit that is.
And I think I mayyy need some help…
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You see, whenever I go into a grocery store, I just CAN’T control myself. As soon as those shiny, rainbow-colored displays of fruit greet me at the door I’m toast. No matter what I do, a simple shopping trip to pick up a few apples and bananas to last me through the week ends up turning into a full-out FRUIT-FEST.
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Wait…does that make me a FRUIT-A-HOLIC??
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Regardless, this weekend in particular was a bit out of control–even for me (It honestly would have made more sense to ask me what kind of fruit I didn’t have in the house than to ask me what kind I did have). When I woke up this morning, I took one long look at my fruit bowl and knew I needed to do something about this fruit situation before everything spoiled. Either that, or I was going to have to open up my apartment to the public and become a farmer’s market for the day! But something tells me I don’t think my landlord would like that…
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So, what’s a girl to do with all this fruit?
FRUIT SALAD, obviously!
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As soon as the hot summer months come around, I rarely use the stove to cook meals. Instead, I choose to eat fresh, cool, and raw dishes as a way to beat the heat. One of my favorite summertime staples falling under these categories has always been fruit salad. I could honestly eat it for breakfast, as a snack, and even for dessert for the rest of my life and be perfectly satisfied. Not only is fruit salad healthy (Antioxidants! Fiber! Vitamin C!) but it’s easy to toss together and it’s a bright, pretty dish to bring along to summer parties or cookouts.
For this recipe, I decided to take a classic fruit salad and spice it up a bit. When it comes to fruit salad, I like to try to hit all the colors of the rainbow because, well, it’s pretty and girly but you certainly don’t have to. This recipe is 100% customizable, so don’t worry if you don’t have all the ingredients–you can totally go all improv and create your own masterpiece!
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There’s only one thing left to do.
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Start choppin’!
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Fruity Tutti Fruit Bowl
Ingredients:
- 1 apple (fuji apples are my absolute favorite!)
- 1 whole orange
- 1 large banana
- 1 pear (I like d’anjou, but any kind will do)
- 1 peach
- 1 kiwi
- 1/2 cup grapes (sliced)
- 1/2 cup blackberries
- 3 teaspoons of all-natural, vegan, jam (I like Trader Joe’s reduced-sugar jams. They make it in blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, apricot. I couldn’t pick so I used half apricot and half strawberry for this recipe )
- Plum Amazins (for sprinkling)–they are a great alternative to raisins, plus, they’re lower in calories!)
- Sliced almonds (for sprinkling)
- Cinnamon (for sprinkling)–cinnamon is a great addition to any diet because it helps control blood sugar spikes and is very high in antioxidants. It’s also anti-microbial, has anti-clotting features, boosts brain function, and promotes colon and heart health because it has fiber, manganese, and calcium in it. I put it on EVERYTHING!)
- Chop everything up and place the fruit in a large bowl (leave the kiwis, almonds, and plum bits aside for garnish).
- Mix in the jam and cinnamon (I personally put a TON of cinnamon in this recipe, but I tend to like things over-spiced. Feel free to spice it up or down as much as you’d like).
- Sprinkle almonds and plum bits on top. Arrange the kiwis around the bowl.
Don’t forget the Cinnamon Chips!
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Cinnamon Chips:
Ingredients:
- 2 whole wheat tortillas
- Cinnamon
- Stevia or all-natural, organic sugar
- All-natural cooking spray
- Preheat the oven to 350º
- Slice the tortillas into triangle shapes
- Place the tortilla triangles on a baking sheet and lightly spray with all-natural cooking spray.
- Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and stevia (or sugar).
- Bake for 11 minutes.
- Once cooled, arrange around the fruit bowl for an adorable presentation!
- Eat the chips on their own, or use the chips to scoop up some of the fruit for my take on a dessert salsa!
See, sometimes its okay to be fruity!
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