Orange-Kiwi-Grape Salad

This wonderful fruit salad has been one of our family's favorites for years. The cinnamon adds just the right touch of spice to the slightly sweet honey dressing. This combination of fruit is perfect served in the winter months when oranges are the sweetest and lowest in price. This kid-friendly salad is good for breakfast or dinner. Blessings...

Recipe:

4 oranges, pared and sliced
2 kiwi, pared and sliced
1 cup fresh seedless red or green grapes, halved
1 Fuji or Cameo apple, cored and cubed, optional addition

Combine the fruit in a serving bowl and add dressing to taste.

Honey-Spice Dressing:

¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup honey
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon.

Whisk dressing ingredients together and spoon desired amount over fruit.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
This wonderful recipe comes from Betty Crocker's "Christmas Cookbook".

Fruit Bran Muffins

Bran muffins are a favorite of mine, and this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens "75 Years of All-Time Favorites" cookbook is no exception. What sets this recipe apart from other recipes, is the addition of fresh fruit rather than raisins. That isn't to say that raisins couldn't be used; my favorite addition is cut-up dried apricots in place of the fresh fruit. So, be creative and use whatever your family will like. These muffins are great on their own with a bowl of fruit for breakfast, but would be equally good alongside a brunch casserole or quiche. Blessings...

Recipes: 

1-1/2 cups whole bran cereal, such as All-Bran Original
1 cup milk (I use 1%)
1 egg
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots.
The recipe is written for 1 cup fresh fruit ( such as chopped, peeled apples, apricots, nectarines, peaches, or plums; halved dark sweet cherries; whole blueberries or raspberries; or chopped bananas)

1. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper bake cups.
2. In a small mixing bowl combine bran cereal and milk; let stand 3 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in egg and oil; set aside.
3. In a separate bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, lemon peel, and salt.
4. Add bran mixture all at once, stirring just until moistened (batter will be thick). Fold in fruit.
5. Fill prepared muffin cups two-thirds full of batter. Bake in 400 degree oven 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Yield: 12 muffins
140 calories each according to the cookbook
4 gms. fiber each according to the cookbook
3 gms. fiber each using 1/2 cup dried apricots

Chicken Fruit Salad

This chicken salad is wonderfully cool and refreshing. It is an easy main dish to prepare for the evening meal or lunch during these hot summer days. The combination of pasta, fruit, fruit juice and ginger make this recipe very different from the traditional flavors usually found in chicken salad. The salad can be put together in advance as long as the dressing is not added until just before serving. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 tablespoon finely minced onion, preferably red onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup seedless grape halves

1 cup thinly sliced celery

1 can (15 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained

1 cup cooked elbow macaroni (approx. 3/4 cup uncooked)

In a large bowl, combine chicken, onion and salt; mix well.  Add remaining four ingredients; stir gently to mix.

Dressing:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk until smooth.  Pour over salad and stir gently to combine. Serve immediately.

Yield: 3 to 4 servings

Tip: After draining mandarin oranges, spread them on paper toweling to remove as much excess liquid as possible. Any excess moisture will dilute the dressing.

Ham and Fruit Pasta Salad

This lovely low-fat salad is perfect for spring and summer lunch's or a light dinner. The dressing is made of fruit yogurt rather than higher calorie mayonnaise or oil keeping the calorie count per cup of salad fairly low. Add any combination of fruit you like, and certainly chicken would be as good as the ham. We eat a lot of main dish salads as the weather turns warm and this is a favorite. They are great to have prepared in advance on busy days. This salad can be prepped and stored in separate bowls until time to throw it all together at suppertime. Blessings...

Recipe:

1-1/2 cups uncooked spiral pasta
1 carton (6 oz.) Pina Colada yogurt
2 tbsp. plain low-fat yogurt
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 cup halved seedless grapes
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup diced cooked ham

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse in cold water and drain. Cool completely.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the yogurt and lime juice until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
3. In a serving bowl combine the fruit, ham and cooled pasta; stir in dressing and serve.

Yield: 4-1/2 cups
211 calories per cup
Note: To serve this salad as a side dish, omit the meat and add more fruit.

Fruited Cabbage Salad

This recipe is one of those creations that comes from necessity, you know, one of those times when there is stuff in the refrigerator and you need to get dinner on the table, but don't have a clue as to what you are going to do. I didn't have whipping cream and oranges to make the Fruit and Cabbage Salad posted on 3/29/2010, but I did have some summer fruit and some Cool Whip. So, I added some nutmeg to the Cool Whip, because it is my husband's absolute favorite spice, and dressed the shredded cabbage and chopped fruits with the mixture. He liked it, and that's good enough for me. Maybe your family will, as well. The Chicken Parmesan recipe was posted on 10/23/2013 and the Spinach Rice Bake is to come soon. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 cup shredded cabbage
1/3 cup fruit such as halved grapes, sliced strawberries, chopped fresh pineapple or pineapple tidbits, or mandarin orange slices. I used a variety.
1/3 cup Cool Whip
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/3 cup miniature marshmallows, if desired

1. Combine shredded cabbage and fruit in a salad bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the Cool Whip and nutmeg; stir into salad. Stir in marshmallows.

Yield: 2 servings
Note: This would be very easy to increase for a larger family; just go by your families needs.

Nut Tree Marshmallow Sauce for Fruit

Years ago, in northern California, there was a restaurant at an airport in Vacaville called the "Nut Tree" that was a favorite place for travelers to stop. The food was wonderful and one of the best things on the menu was this fruit salad dressing served over a mound of fresh fruit, especially in the summer when California fruit is at it's very best. This dressing, or sauce, is very similar to white mountain icing that gets piled high on a birthday cake; it is absolutely delicious and worth every calorie. Besides, your eating a pile of fruit and antioxidants, right? Blessings...

Recipe: 

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup hot water
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
dash of salt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp. grated orange rind

1. Combine sugar, hot water and corn syrup. Heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Then boil, without stirring, to firm ball stage (244 to 248 degrees on candy thermometer). Remove from heat.
2. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Slowly add hot syrup, beating on high speed until thick and fluffy.
3. Add vanilla and salt. Gently fold in mayonnaise and orange rind.
4. If dressing is thicker than desired, fold in 1 or 2 tbsps. more mayonnaise or 1 or 2 tsps. water. I've never needed to add any extra mayo or water. Refrigerate until serving time.

Yield: 3 cups
per 1/4 cup serving: 152 calories

Creamy Frozen Fruit Salad (2)

Since this weekend is Memorial Day and a weekend of celebration with family and friends for most of us, I thought I would post another salad recipe, but this one won't be going to the park or lake for a day in the sun. This one will need to stay inside since it is made with cream cheese and other milk products to give it a wonderful rich, creamy texture. This salad is loaded with fruit and has no strong flavors which makes it great for the whole family; a real kid-friendly recipe.

My husband and I will be going home to see my mom for a few days. She has been very ill, but thankfully, is doing much better now, so I will not be posting for about a week. It is going to be wonderful to spend time with her and other family members that we have not seen since Thanksgiving or longer. Being at a distance from loved ones is so difficult and we are really thankful for the blessing of this time to spend with them. I hope you have some wonderful time with your family, as well. Blessings until next week!

Recipe:

1 pkg. (8 oz.) low-fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup low-fat sour cream
1 cup fat-free Cool Whip or other whipped topping
1/4 cup sugar
1 can (1 lb.) apricot halves, drained and cut in half
1 can (8 3/4 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained
1 can (1 lb.) pitted dark sweet cherries, drained and cut in half.
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup chopped pecans

1. In a large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sour cream, Cool Whip and sugar; blend on low speed.
2. Stir fruits, marshmallows and nuts into cheese mixture.
3. Pour into a 5 x 9-inch loaf pan, 9 x 9-inch baking pan or a mold. Cover with foil and freeze for at least 8 hours.
4. Let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before trying to cut and serve.

Yield: 12 servings
Tip: If you are like me, and don't buy the smaller cans of crushed pineapple, the amount needed is 1 cup pineapple with juice and then drain.

I adapted this recipe from a recipe found in Betty Crocker's Cookbook.

Chocolate-Dipped Fruit

Fresh strawberries are getting better, but not as good as they will get when warmer weather comes north, so cover the not-quite-sweet-enough little guys in chocolate and they become very easy to get down. We also like moist dried apricots added to the plate for variety; what an easy way to get a serving of fruit into your family! Blessings...

Recipe:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. shortening, a bit more might be needed if the chocolate is too thick to coat.
1 pkg. (6 oz.) moist dried apricots
1 pint fresh strawberries

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips and shortening, stirring constantly until smooth.
2. Dip fruit into chocolate and gently tap against pan to remove excess. Place on waxed paper cookie trays until chocolate is firm and set.
3. Gently peel fruit off paper and store in a covered container.

Yield: 10 - 12 servings, maybe!
Note: I have also used a combination of half semisweet chocolate chips and half milk chocolate chips with success.

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Chicken Waldorf Salad

This recipe takes the classic Waldorf Salad and turns it into a main dish for a hot summer day. The combination of chicken and fruit is wonderful with the crystallized ginger, a different twist for salad in our home. I did make the original salad without the addition of the ginger and it was very good, the ginger just gives it a new flavor. I do hope you might give it a try for your family, blessings...

Recipe:   

2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 cup diced celery
1 cup grapes, halved
1 can (11 oz.) Mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup diced apple
1/4 cup broken pecans, toasted
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise (light is fine)
2 tsps. honey
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsps. brandy
1 tbsp. minced crystallized ginger (opt.)

1. Toss together chicken, fruit and pecans.
2. Whisk together dressing ingredients.
3. Gently stir dressing into chicken and fruit; serve immediately.

Note: Toast the pecans in a small frying pan over low heat for about 10 - 15 minutes, stirring often. Watch carefully so they don't burn. Let cool before adding to salad. Toasting the nuts brings out the flavor, so it is well worth the effort.
Note: If you have leftovers, they taste fine, but you will need to drain off the extra moisture that comes from the fruit juices.

Serves: 4

Frozen Fruit Cups

This recipe is wonderful with large groups or children in mind because the salad is frozen and served in individual plastic cups. The original recipe was written to serve 20 people so I made some adjustments and cut it down to serve about 11. The cups will last for weeks stored in plastic freezer bags or plastic containers. The fruit cups are a wonderful addition to a meal or great for a summer snack. Have a wonderful weekend with your family, blessings...

Recipe:

1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen sweetened strawberries, thawed
1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, undrained
1 can (6 oz.) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
3 oz. thawed pink lemonade concentrate
3 firm bananas, cubed

1. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients.
2. Pour into foil-lined muffin cups or individual plastic beverage cups. Freeze until solid.
3. Remove from the freezer about 30 - 45 minutes before serving. Adjust the time as you determine how solid you want the fruit for serving.

Note: If you use the foil cupcake papers, you will want to serve them in some form of a serving glass for easier eating. Two filled cupcake liners is about 6 oz. fruit salad.

Creamy Frozen Fruit Salad

This recipe goes back to when my husband and I were dating and I wanted to make him a meal. I discovered that one of his favorite casseroles at that time was tuna casserole, so I got out my Mom's cookbook and found a recipe that I continue to use today. But, in addition to a green salad, I wanted to do something fun, so I used this recipe for Creamy Frozen Fruit Salad that I found in a magazine. He liked the salad, so I made it often, then there were just too many salads to try and this one got forgotten until I came upon it in my file a few weeks ago. Goodness, it brought back memories of our early years together. The salad is rich and creamy with a very fresh taste created by the use of lemonade. It's great for a summer meal, Blessings...

Recipe:

1 pkg. (3 oz.) strawberry flavor gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 can (6 oz.) frozen concentrated pink lemonade
1 8-oz. container Cool Whip whipped topping
1 can (16 oz.) sliced peaches, drained
1 can (8 oz.) sliced pears, drained

1. Chop fruit and set aside.
2. In a bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add lemonade and stir until melted. Chill until slightly thickened.
3. Blend in the whipped topping until there are no white streaks left; fold in the chopped fruit.
4. Pour into a 9" x 9" pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.
5. Remove salad from freezer about 15 minutes before serving. Cut into squares and serve.

Serves 12

Frozen Fruit Salad

This salad is easy, inexpensive, very refreshing and is made with ingredients that are often on hand. This is another recipe that I have made for years with great success. Banana is a favorite of most children so serving it along side macaroni and cheese or hamburgers keeps the meal simple, but nutrition is not sacrificed since this has fruit, fruit juice and yogurt in it. It is very similar to a fruit ice. Enjoy!

Recipe:

2 ripe bananas

3/4 cup pineapple juice

2 tbsps. lemon juice

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup fruit flavored yogurt to compliment the other flavors.

1 can (11 oz.) mandarin orange segments, undrained

sugar to taste, if needed

1. Combine the bananas, pineapple juice and lemon juice in a blender container; cover and whirl 1 minute on low speed until smooth.

2. Add remaining ingredients and whirl 30 seconds more. Taste to see if you think a bit of sugar is needed.

3. Pour into a 9x9x2-inch pan and freeze for about 4 hours, or until firm.

4. Remove pan from freezer and let sit for 5 minutes before cutting into squares.

Yield: 9 servings or more

Tip: Plain fat-free yogurt can be used in place of the fruit-flavored yogurt, but you will need to add 2 - 4 tbsps. sugar.

Also, pineapple-orange juice can be used in place of the two separate juices, keep the measurements the same as written.

Tip: This recipe can easily be cut in half and a 9x5-inch loaf pan can be used.

An Easy Dinner Salad Recipe

Here is a very easy and simple dinner salad recipe that I threw together last evening with great success. I made the salads in individual serving bowls because my husband is on a weight loss program. This is the only way I can really count the calories for him and help to keep him on track. But, if I didn't have to do it this way, I would throw everything together in one big bowl. The recipe is easy to adjust with what you have on hand, so the sky is the limit. It would be a great side dish for a crowd because it can grow depending on the number that you need to feed. I love salads like this, I hope you will as well. Blessings...

Recipe:
4 cups torn romaine lettuce
2 sliced green onions
3 ripe strawberries, sliced into bite-sized pieces
1/2 orange, segments chopped
1/4 avocado, chopped
3-4 tablespoons poppy seed dressing

Divide ingredients into two bowls and top with dressing.

Recipe can be multiplied to fit your families need, this quantity served two with only meat served along side.

Tip: I purchased Ken's Steak House Lite Poppy Seed Dressing for the first time last week and we really liked it. So, if you don't have a favorite, you might try this brand.