Fruit – Page 2 – The Pajama Chef

Honey-Lime Fruit Salad

September 21, 2011 Sarah

So, I made a mistake. I made this fabulous fruit salad several months ago, and promptly forgot about it. When I found the photo this week, I just knew I had to blog about it before it was too late. Before all of summer’s fresh fruit is gone. And I know that may be sooner, rather than later, but I just had to share. I hope you understand.

This Honey-Lime Fruit Salad is absolutely fantastic. I’m not used to making dressing for fruit salads, but it’s definitely something I can get used to doing! The dressing is sweet, fresh, and tangy–sweet with honey and brown sugar, fresh from the mint, and tangy from the lime juice. Tossed with the fruit, this salad is light and sweet–and the perfect complement to your next brunch or any meal, really. You can make it with whatever fruit you have on hand or what’s fresh and available, and then whip up the dressing before serving. This is definitely an easy and yummy side dish that I will make again and again.

Reader Question ~ How do you dress your fruit salads?

Honey-Lime Fruit Salad [from Jenna’s Everything Blog]
printable version

Ingredients:

10 cups fresh seasonal fruit [berries, melon, kiwi, mango, etc.]
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:

Prepare dressing by whisking together the lime juice, mint, honey, and brown sugar. Peel and chop fruit, then toss with dressing. Garnish with extra mint. Can be prepared in advance but if you include berries or brightly colored fruit [i.e. watermelon], wait to add until serving as they may bleed.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Time: 15 minutes

Fruit, Recipes, Sides

Brown Sugar Fruit Dip

July 19, 2011July 28, 2015 Sarah

What can make sweet, decadent summer fruit better? Why, FRUIT DIP of course! And if I may be so bold to say so, I think I’ve found one of the best.

Meet Brown Sugar Fruit Dip.

I first sampled this tasty treat at a bridal shower in April and the moment its sweet, delicate flavor hit my lips, I couldn’t gobble it down fast enough. Too bad spoonfuls of fruit dip are inappropriate at these sort of events. Oh, propriety. Fortunately dip-maker Summer was willing to share her recipe, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

There are two things about this dip that stand out: texture and flavor. Think of the smooth, creamy, frosting-like consistency achieved when cream cheese is whipped to oblivion. Then add a punch of rich, sophisticated sweetness of brown sugar followed by the slightly spicy, aromatic flavor of vanilla. Altogether, you have now created a simple yet delicious dip that will enhance the natural sweetness of your favorite fruit–be it apples or peaches or pineapple or mangoes or kiwi or anything else, or even contrast with the salty crunch of pretzel sticks or pita chips. This dip, of course, does not increase the nutritional value of your healthy snack but it’s sure tasty! This Brown Sugar Fruit Dip is a great fancy addition to any fruit plate for a summer party and could also be a fun take on fondue night as well.

Summer's Brown Sugar Fruit Dip

Servings: 10
Time: 10 minutes
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Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese
3 tablespoons vanilla
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:

In a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and vanilla on medium speed for 3-5 minutes until smooth. Then, fold in brown sugar and mix until well combined, about another minute or so.

Notes:

Amounts of vanilla and brown sugar can be adjusted based on your tastes. For a richer flavor, increase vanilla to 4 tablespoons. For a sweeter flavor, use 1/2 cup brown sugar. Other extracts, such as almond, could be used for a different flavor palate and sweet spices such as nutmeg or cinnamon could be added too. Feel free to play around with the proportions to find what you like best! This is just my preference, and it is slightly different from the original. Enjoy!

Fruit, Recipes, Sides

Cranberry Sauce Face/Off

December 20, 2010November 22, 2013 Sarah

Cranberry sauce is VERY serious business. Because it’s my favorite holiday dish, like stuffing, ya know? It’s the only way I can stomach turkey or a big hunk o’ meat, as is traditional for holiday meals. And FYI… I’m not talking about that stuff in a can. I hope you didn’t think that was the case.

No, I’m talking about real, whole berry cranberry sauce. Today I’ll be sharing my two best cranberry sauce recipes, just in time for your Christmas dinner.

cranberry sauces in the snow — The magic of cranberry sauce. On the left, the traditional family Cranberry Relish; on the right, a new recipe: Gingered Cranberry-Apricot Sauce.

I love my family’s traditional cranberry relish because it’s tart and sweet at the same time. The sweetness of the citrus pairs perfectly with tangy cranberries. The Cranberry Relish is a snap to make too–from start to finish, this dish takes about 10 minutes, tops. How simple is that? Love it!

Cranberry Relish

Ingredients:

12 ounces fresh cranberries
1 orange, scrubbed and sliced
1 lime, scrubbed and sliced
1/2-3/4 cup sugar

Directions:

Place cranberries in the bowl of a food processor. Add half of the orange and lime [including the rind], and pulse several times to chop. Then add the rest of the orange and lime and pulse a few more times. Pour in 1/4 cup sugar and pulse to combine. Taste and add additional sugar as desired. I usually use about 1/2 cup sugar total, but adjust to your tastes. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Notes:

Feel free to use any type of citrus in this cranberry relish… oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, clementines, etc. Just be sure to remove the seeds first!

and for recipe #2…

I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about trying a cooked cranberry sauce. It wasn’t what I had grown up enjoying. However, I am so glad I gave this Gingered Cranberry-Apricot Sauce a try. The combination of spicy ginger, sweet apricot, and tangy cranberries is fabulous! It’s unlike any cranberry dish I have ever tasted… I made it for Thanksgiving and it’s making a repeat appearance at Christmas. Yum!

Gingered Cranberry-Apricot Sauce [from Woman’s Day]

Ingredients:

12 ounces fresh cranberries
1/2-3/4 cup sugar
1-2 teaspoons ginger
15.25 ounce can apricot halves [I used the lite version in a natural juice]

Directions:

Drain apricots, reserving juice into a measuring cup. Add water to juice to make 1 cup of liquid. Chop apricots into thirds.

In a medium saucepan, combine liquid, cranberries, apricots, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon ginger. Stir together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 20-30 minutes or until the majority of the cranberries have burst. Taste, and add additional sugar or ginger to taste. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Click here for the printable: Cranberry Sauce Face/Off

Question of the Day: Cranberry Sauce… Yea or Nay?

Fruit, Recipes, Sides

Crock Pot Chunky Applesauce

September 22, 2010December 8, 2015 Sarah

Happy First Day of Fall!

In my opinion, fall couldn’t come soon enough. This summer was HOT, which made running pretty miserable at times and made other outdoor activities sound not-so-attractive. Drenched in sweat after a stroll in the neighborhood? No thanks. Though I love the bounty of summer’s produce, my favorite seasonal flavors are from the fall. Pumpkin. Apple. Squash. Cranberry. Yum.

Even though I’ve been graduated for three years now (!), fall takes me back to my alma mater, with pretty leaves on the trees, homecoming festivities, and cross country races. Oh, how I miss Wittenberg, dear Wittenberg!

I’m learning to love fall on my new campus, Indiana University. I love walking in the midst of these grand old limestone-and-brick buildings with a chill in the air and leaves crunching beneath my feet. Fall weather, whether it comes in the first week of the semester or the sixth, just screams academics to me. Does this resonate with anyone else? I just love the line in You’ve Got Mail about this:

“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has it’s charm.”

one aspect of fall…

Last fall, Ben and I even got to partake in a classic fall ritual–apple picking! It was really fun, and we came back with dozens of apples–a whole peck, I do believe.

Sarah and Ben, apple picking. — Apple picking last fall.

We made many an apple recipe last fall, and since I wasn’t blogging then, I haven’t shared them yet!

In honor of the first day of fall, I made this applesauce last night to celebrate. Since it’s a crock pot recipe, made is a loose term. After getting home, I quickly enlisted Ben’s sous-chef skills and hopped to it!

Crock Pot Chunky Applesauce

Servings: 8 cups
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Ingredients:

8 apples, cored, peeled, chopped [I used 3 Gala apples and 5 Granny Smiths, but feel free to use whatever you like/have on hand.] — about 8-9 cups
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

Prepare apples, and don’t feel like you have to peel all the skin off–we like a little left on for texture! Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Stir well, then cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Resist the temptation to open the lid! It adds cooking time if you do that because the air escapes. [Ask me how I know… :)] When it has finished cooking, use a potato masher to mash apples to desired texture. Eat and enjoy!

Notes:

If you don’t have a crock pot, I’m sure you can make this recipe on the stove, too, but I haven’t tried that. If you do, let me know how it goes! Also, this recipe can easily be doubled or even tripled, depending on the size of your crock pot. Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar based on the sweetness of your apples too. Or the seasonings too. Or add pears. That’s yummy also. Basically, this is a very versatile recipe. Do with it what you like!