EVENT: FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOP
THEME: #73 NEW YEAR
RECIPE: EXOTIC FRUIT SALAD
Exotic Fruit Salad is a delicious, healthy and satisfying naturally sweet treat to enjoy for breakfast or as dessert. Why exotic? Because I rarely find dragon fruit and I love it so much.
FoodieMonday/ Bloghop Group
To kick off 2017 on a happy note,FoodieMonday/Bloghop group decided on the theme New Year. For this theme which coincidentally falls on a Monday, we had to prepare any dish that we see fit to celebrate New Year. New beginnings mean celebrating with something sweet. However, after the wedding, Christmas, hubby’s birthday celebrations I really didn’t want to add more sugar into our bodies.
Since I got really sweet strawberries, succulent pomegranate and dragon fruit, I decided to make something that is naturally sweet and healthy – a fruit salad. You may question what is so unique about a fruit salad, but for me it is. I don’t get dragon fruit in Mombasa so that is exotic enough!
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Write it in your heart that every day of this new year is the best day.
A new year has begun, time to reflect on what we achieved last year, what we didn’t and what we would like to achieve. Like every year I continuously make a resolution to lose weight, which so far I haven’t. Also not get so emotional if my kids don’t call regularly, which is pretty difficult to stick by. And to have more patience with my hubby’s weird, out of this world ideas. Often enough, his ideas get me so angry and I try to retaliate them with all my energy 🙂
It is also important to thank our past years and what we have learned from it. Actually, the past is what allows us to move to the new year. Also a time to thank God for all that we have, good health, home, family and friends.
So here’s wishing you all a year which will bring you good health, peace, happiness, more family time, prosperity, success in all you want to achieve, new friends and continued friendship.
My New Year Resolution
Nothing about dieting or weight loss as I can never stick to it. However, I want to go into 2017 loving myself more. Seriously, I want to stop pleasing others. Furthermore, I want to do what I feel I should. I don’t want others telling me what I should be doing. Not to mention, I am old enough to know what is right and what is wrong. For me that’s going to be like a major makeover. No seriously, after certain events that took place last year, I want to break the shackles of pleasing everyone. As hubby dear often reminds me that I should follow my heart.
More Fruity Recipes
- Cute sweet little Fruit Tartlets topped with assorted fruits make delightful dessert option.
- Homemade Fruit Jelly makes a delicious Summer Time dessert. Ideal for garden parties, kids parties or just to have a cool healthy treat. I use agar agar making them totally vegetarian, gluten free and vegan.
- How about some delish fruity puddings to enjoy for breakfast or as dessert? I love Amaranth Fruity Pudding and Saffron Tapioca Pudding.
- For dinner parties I love to serve Fruit & Nut Rice Kheer or Pudding.
- Start your day with a protein rich Fruit And Nut Yogurt Parfait.
- How about some chilled fresh fruit filled Lemongrass Fruity Tea? A satisfying and filling summer treat. I love to have it on Fasting Days.
Ingredients Required For Exotic Fruit Salad
- Fresh Fruits – any of your choice. Try and include some berries or grapes, tropical fruit. Choose any seasonal fruit. I have used dragon fruit, pomegranate, strawberries and grapes.
- Fresh Herbs – herbs like mint or basil go very well with fruit salads. I have used fresh mint.
- Fresh Orange Juice – to add some zing to any fruit salad, I like to use fresh orange juice reduction. Make sure the juice is naturally sweet and not bitter or sour. To prepare the reduction mix the juice with little cornflour. Heat the mixture gently in a pan till it becomes hot and slightly thick. If you want to prepare this fruit salad for fasting days then replace cornflour with arrow root or tapioca flour.
- Cornflour – to prepare the reduction. For fasting days replace cornflour with arrow root or tapioca flour.
EXOTIC FRUIT SALAD
Ingredients
- 1 dragon fruit
- 12 strawberries or 1 punnet
- 1 cup grapes
- 8 fresh mint leaves
- 1 cup of pomegranate seeds/arils
FOR THE ORANGE REDUCTION:
- 1½ cups orange juice fresh
- 1 tsp cornflour
Instructions
PREPARATION OF ORANGE REDUCTION
- To prepare the orange reduction, mix orange juice and cornflour in a thick bottomed pan.
- Put the pan over medium heat and let the juice become hot.
- When it begins to simmer, reduce the heat. Let it simmer for 7-10minutes till it becomes a little thick.
- Let it cool down completely.
PREPARATION OF FRUIT SALAD
- Scoop out the flesh from the dragon fruit.
- Cut the grapes into half.
- Tear the mint leaves.
- Hull the strawberries and cut into half or thick slices.
- Mix the fruits and mint leaves together in a serving bowl.
- Pour the orange reduction over the fruit salad and serve.
Notes
- Use any fresh fruit of your choice.
- Make it colourful so that it is appealing and kids will want to reach out for it.
- Can serve the fruit salad with some ice cream or drizzle fresh cream over it.
- Use basil leaves instead of mint.
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A little request:
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
- tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
- or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962