Monday, February 7, 2011

Fruit Salsa











1. Choose Your Fruit
I choose fruit based on it's color. I love having something in just about every color of the rainbow! So here's some options:

Kiwi, Mango, Strawberries, Pineapple and blackberries
RedStrawberries are my standard because they hold up really well, they're usually inexpensive, and everyone loves strawberries. But watermelonraspberries orpomegranate seeds would be fun too.

OrangeMango is my top choice.......Peaches,nectarines, or orange segments would work.

YellowPineapple! Fresh is best, but in a pinch open up a can. I guess nectarines and peaches can also be yellow.

Green: LOVE the bright color and great texture of Kiwi in fruit salsa. There's always honeydew too.

Blue/Purple: I go with price on this one. Blueberries or blackberries, whichever is cheaper!

I really love Kiwi, blackberry, and Mango together too. It looks gorgeous and the flavor combo is really great too.My berries were giant so I cut them in half, which I think make them look super cool. If you are using any type of berries, you'll want to stir them in at the last minute so they don't dye the whole salsa.


2. Choose Your Sweetener

Honey: I love the flavor of honey with fruit. I usually add a little no matter what.

Powdered Sugar: It dissolves fast and gives a light sweetness.

Brown Sugar: Takes longer to dissolve but adds an interesting flavor. Much deeper flavor than white sugar.

Granulated Sugar: What I use the most. It tastes good and makes a nice syrup with the fruit juices.

Agave Nectar: If you want to use an alternative sweetener, you could try Agave Nectar (very low on the glycemic index if that concerns you) or a natural herbal sweetener like Stevia.

3. Choose Your Extras
You don't want to do all of these together- pick and choose!

Lime Juice: I always add lime juice. Just a few big squeezes. The fruit will give off a lot of juice so you don't want to add too much additional liquid, but a few squeezes of tangy lime juice adds a great flavor and makes it nice and tropical tasting.

Cinnamon: A few dashes of cinnamon goes great with the cinnamon chips.

Mint: I love a little chopped fresh mint in my fruit salsa. It reminds me of cilantro in regular salsa and makes everything so fresh tasting. But beware, a little goes a long way and if you add too much it will really overpower the taste of your yummy fruit. 

Coconut: shredded coconut is especially yummy when you have tropical fruits like pineapple and mango in your salsa. Sprinkle some on top or stir it in, but either way do it just before serving or it will get all soggy.

Toasted Coconut: If you're taking this to a party, then add some toasted coconut on top for great presentation. People will go wild over it!

4. Eat it!
You'll want to chill the salsa first for maximum yumminess. Then serve with Baked Cinnamon Chips for dipping. Also fantastic over ice cream! Ooh, how about cinnamon chips AND ice cream. Now that's a party.

Baked Cinnamon Chips

Flour Tortillas (I like the little 6" ones)
Melted Butter
Cinnamon Sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly brush one side of each tortilla with melted butter. 
Then sprinkle on some cinnamon sugar. A little or a lot. 

Use a pizza cutter to cut those tortillas into wedges. Place them on an ungreased baking sheet (sugar side up, incase you are visually impared and can't tell by the picture) and bake them in the oven for about 10-12 minutes. You'll see them crisp up. Watch for the edges to turn up.  Remove from oven and let cool. I usually place them on a cooling rack so I can fill up the pan with more, but they can just cool on the pan as well.



When they're done they'll be light and crisp and oh so delicious. These are yummy, addicting little things. You can use them for all kinds of things- try making nachos by topping them with some vanilla ice cream and buttermilk caramel sauce or hot fudge. Or dip them in fruit dip or straight into whipped cream. Or just snack on them plain- they make a great after school snack. My toddler loves making these with me. Even sprinkled with sugar they're still more healthy than a fried tortilla chip and they taste like a yummy cookie!