Get Cooking!

Recipes, Kitchen Gadgets, Cookbook Reviews, Gluten Free Recipes...

You are here: Home / Archives for Fruit Recipes

Fruit Recipes

Sour Cream Sauce for Fruit Recipe

By

As you well know, I collect cookbooks with a crazy passion often reserved for chocolate cheesecake.   I take a great deal of pride in my hundreds of cookbooks.  While a lot of time and money has gone into collecting them, the main thing I love about them is the fact that so many are family heirlooms. Some are probably worth money right now (not that I’d ever part with a cookbook my grandmother wrote “yummy!” in) –  and others are simple little cookbooks that were used to raise money for churches or schools.  It would appear that my mom bought any and every cookbook anyone tried to sell her!

One of the cookbooks I use most often, actually, came from my mom’s collection. It’s the Newman’s Own Cookbook. It’s not as old as a lot of the cookbooks in my collection, obviously – so it’s not an oldie, but it is a goldie.

A favorite recipe from this cookbook is Fresh Fruits with Sour Cream Sauce. This Heavenly creamy sauce will have your family fighting over fruit instead of potato chips and chocolate chip cookies for a change. You’re going to love it.

Fresh Fruits with Sour Cream Sauce

3-1/2 cups sliced fresh fruit
1/1/2 cups sour cream
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh mint plus mint sprigs for garnish (optional)

Keep the fruit chilled until ready to use.

In a bowl, combine the sour cream, brown sugar, lemon juice and mint, and stir together until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the sauce into a serving bowl, cover, and chill until serving time.

Serve the fruit garnished with the mint sprigs and pass the sour cream sauce as a topping. Serve with crisp cookies.

My preferences:
The book recommends banana, mango, papaya, kiwi. I prefer berries, melons, apples, and grapes, however, so I throw together varying combinations of apples, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, and grapes. Naturally, you can just use whatever fruit your family prefers.

I’ve never used mint in this recipe, even though we always have mint in our herb garden. Go figure. I’m sure it’d look gorgeous, though! My main thing with mint is that, typically, if it’s present, it’s often the only thing my taste buds concentrate on. I take one bite and my brain says, “Mint!” I love the flavor, almost as much as the smell, I just don’t want it to steal the show all the time.

This fruit salad is fantastic served with almonds crushed on top – or even with nuts served nearby. I’m nuts for nuts, though, so I serve them with as many things as possible. They’re SO healthy!

A few other recipes from Newman’s Own Cookbook:

  • Potato Salad with Two Mustards Dressing
  • Roasted Herbed New Potatoes with Spinach
  • Whoopi Goldberg’s Big Bad Ass Beef Ribs
  • Julia Robert’s Fresh Peach Crisp
  • Gene Shalit’s Spaghetti Carbonora
  • Incredible Cobb Salad
  • Herbed Samon Fillets in Foil
  • Mediterranean Fish Fillets
  • Joanne Woodward’s Cioppino
  • Blaze’s Shrimp and Sausage Creole
  • Twice-Baked Potato over Spinach, Broccoli, and Peppers
  • Tom Cruise’s Linguine with Zesty Red Clam Sauce

Throughout the book are quotes from Paul Newman and pictures from his personal life and career.  Great, great cookbook.

Fruit Dip That’ll Have Them Begging for More Fruit

By

We all know that fruit is wonderfully healthy for us and we try to put it in front of our families as often as possible.  Sometimes it’s a hit, sometimes not so much.

I love fruit so much that it’s like dessert for me, but not every member of my family feels the same way.  I encourage my husband to eat more fruit with Cottage Cheese and vanilla yogurt (usually with added nuts or granola).  My oldest daughter, Emily, is a huge fan of breakfast food, so I can easily serve her raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries in oatmeal, in pancakes, or alongside French Toast.  Both of them also like fruit salads and cereal with fruit.

Our youngest daughters, Brittany and Stephany, have always been a little bit of a challenge – especially Brittany.  The following Fruit Dip recipe (along with caramel sauce for apples and pears) is one sure-fire way I can get fruit into ALL of my family members.

Delicious Creamy Fruit Dip Recipe

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons of your favorite syrup (not butter-flavored or light, though)
Fresh Fruit (or you’ve defeated your purpose!)

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, sugars, and syrup. Beat until smooth and creamy. Chill until ready to serve.

This fruit dip is excellent with strawberries, apples (stir in a little caramel sauce in place of the syrup for an extra treat with apples), pears, peaches (have mercy!), grapes, blackberries, your fingers…. did I type that out loud??

Another Idea: If you’ve made a killer fruit salad, this dip is delicious and beautiful when drizzled over the whole shebang.

Yield: 2 delicious cups

Click the following link to find out which fruits made the Top 20 list of Superfoods according to South Beach Diet.

Delicious Recipes Featuring Honey and Apples

By

Delicious honey in spoons.... yum!

Below are some fantastic recipes from the National Honey Board that call for two of my all-time favorite flavors in the world:  Honey and Apples. Yum!   One of the reasons I think I love apples so much is they taste like Autumn to me.  Since it’s my favorite time of the year, I’m good with that.  As for honey, I know why I’m so in love with it – it’s a little thing we call a sweet tooth and my head is full of them.  When these two flavors team up, Joi is one happy, happy Kentuckian.

Apple Gem Jelly Recipe
Makes 24 servings

1 cup apple juice
1 1/2 cups honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 red apples, grated with peel on
3 ounces liquid pectin

In a 5-quart saucepan, combine apple juice, honey, lemon juice and grated apples. Bring to a full rolling boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in liquid pectin. Skim off foam. Ladle into hot sterilized jars. Seal according to manufacturers instructions. Makes three 1/2-pint jars.

Recipe for Candied Honey Apples
Makes 6 servings

1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 small apples
6 wooden sticks
1/3 cup nuts, chopped

Combine all ingredients except apples, sticks and nuts in 2-quart saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat to 265°F; stir constantly. Remove from heat. Cool 5 minutes. Insert stick into top of apple. Holding apple by stick, roll in hot honey mixture to coat; roll bottom of apple in nuts if desired. Place on waxed paper squares to cool. Repeat with remaining apples. Makes 6 apples.

Honey Yogurt Dumplings with Apples Recipe
Makes 8 servings

Dumpling Batter:
1 cup flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
6 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon orange peel, grated

Apple Mixture:
4 cups apple slices
2 cups cranberry juice
1/2 cup honey
1 cinnamon stick or 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in large bowl. Mix together egg, yogurt, 1 tablespoon honey, milk and orange peel in separate large bowl; stir into flour mixture to form moist batter.

Combine apples, juice, remaining 1/2 cup honey, cinnamon stick and nutmeg in heavy large skillet; mix well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low.

Drop tablespoonfuls of batter over hot apple mixture. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through and wooden pick inserted near dumpling center comes out clean.

Harvest Honey Spice Cake Recipe
Makes 12 servings

1 cup honey
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup strong brewed coffee
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups tart apples, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Powdered sugar
Additional toasted sliced almonds, for garnish

Using electric mixer beat together honey, oil and coffee. Beat in eggs. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to honey-egg mixture, mixing until well blended. Stir in apples, almonds and cranberries. Pour into lightly greased and floured Bundt or tube pan. Bake at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool on wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar; garnish with sliced almonds, if desired.

*****  This is a little off-topic, but if you or anyone you love happens to get whatever it is going around (the coughing, sore throat, chest congestion, sneezing nightmare) – put honey in tea and drinketh a lot! The honey soothes the throat like nothing else can or will and the natural sweetness makes you feel as though you just may live.  If your throat is sore and inflamed, drink your honey-sweetened tea cold – it’ll put out the fire and make the inflamation go down.  If your throat isn’t sore, but you have a lot of chest congestion, drink your honey-tea warm.. it’ll open you up and you’ll re-discover a little something we call breathing.

How to Freeze Strawberries From Oregon Strawberries

By

The Berry BibleJanie Hibler, berry expert and author of The Berry Bible: With 175 Recipes Using Cultivated and Wild, Fresh and Frozen Berries, offers three simple steps for freezing strawberries:

1. Rinse strawberries and pour them onto a baking sheet lined with a paper towel. Pat dry with another paper towel.
2. Put baking sheet in freezer until strawberries are completely frozen (about 2 hours depending on freezer temperature)
3. Transfer strawberries to self-sealing plastic freezer bags and place back into freezer.

According to Janie Hibler, it is important to freeze strawberries in exact portions, such as pints and quarts. This is because strawberries become condensed when thawed, rendering them impossible to measure with accuracy. Hibler also recommends consuming frozen berries within a year for maximum freshness. “After that, ice crystals will start breaking down the berries’ flesh, and eventually they will lose their flavor,” adds Hibler.

Frozen strawberries can be used in many ways, from smoothies and pies to jams and butters.   For recipes, visit www.oregon-strawberries.org

Should you run out of time to freeze fresh Oregon strawberries, frozen are widely available in grocery stores.

Unsurpassed flavor, color and nutritional benefits

Unlike strawberries from other regions, Oregon strawberries hang on the vine longer, resulting in a gradual ripening process that develops the sugars more fully. The result is a better tasting strawberry and a more vibrant red color throughout.

In a study by Oregon State University’s Food Science and Technology Department, Oregon strawberries outperformed California varieties in all measures of taste and nutritional quality. Oregon berries had the highest levels of total sugars; higher marks for overall fruit quality and aroma; and higher levels of anthocyanin, a potentially powerful antioxidant.

Strawberry Smoothie Recipe from Oregon Strawberry Commission:

2 large or 4 small servings

2 cups frozen strawberries
2 frozen bananas
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup yogurt

DIRECTIONS – Blend ingredients in processor until smooth.  Pour into glasses.

About the Oregon Strawberry Commission;
The Oregon Strawberry Commission (OSC) is a commodity commission that represents more than 100 Oregon strawberry growers. The OSC serves Oregon’s strawberry industry by identifying markets for strawberry promotion and education and by implementing and supporting programs to increase strawberry consumption. For more information, please visit www.oregon-strawberries.org/.

Stuffed Bananas Recipe

By

Peeled and Unpeeled Bananas (Musa Accuminata), Cavendish Variety


Peeled and Unpeeled Bananas (Musa Accuminata), Cavendish Variety
Buy This Allposters.com

Easy Stuffed Bananas Recipe

6 large bananas
2 – 1/2 cups mashed yams
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Split the unpeeled bananas lengthwise, but be sure not to cut all the way through.

Remove as much of the banana pulp as possible. Combine the banana pulp with the mashed yams and mix well. Stir in brown sugar, salt, and bacon.

Stuff the delicious (and aromatic) filling into the banana skins and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

This amazingly unique and heavenly recipe is from Historic Spanish Point: Cooking then and now.

More Banana Art Prints:

Bananappeal
Bananappeal
Buy This Allposters.com

Banana Samba
Banana Samba
Buy This Allposters.com

Smiling Breakfast of Muffins and a Banana

Smiling Breakfast of Muffins and a Banana
Buy This Allposters.com