Fresh Fruit Salad

Cherries are on sale at my local  Latin market for 99 cents per pound! And, they provid the bulk of sweet and tangy produce as well - just read below all the Spanish words of the abundant frutas on sale.

So, now the time is right for my refreshing Fruit Salad. Of course, any seasonal fruit on sale can go into your own citrus salad. I like to mix up crunchy fruit with the soft and juicy.

My fruit salad is minimalist, just whatever fruit I can find on sale. And I give it a generous squeeze of lemon, or lime, to prolong it's freshness, and to cut the sweetness with a little sour.

I always find bananas priced way below a dollar per pound. If you are making a Fruit Salad ahead of time, then don't add sliced banana until you are ready to serve, they turn brown too quickly, even with a lemon or lime bath.

Apples and oranges frequently come on sale. Apples are easy to slice and dice. Oranges can be a little messy, with a slight bitter pith, that separates the skin from flesh. I like to slice off the peel and pith. You could then slice into each orange wedge to cleanly remove the flesh. I don't go that far.

Cherries take the most work, but are worth the trouble. I slice each cherry around the center seed. Twist the cherry halves and expose the seed. Now, it's easier to pluck the seed out. Have a paper towel handy in case juice gets everywhere!

To bulk up a Fruit Salad, add sliced melon or watermelon. If you are from the South, them add some fresh peaches, nectarines, blackberries and strawberries. Northerners get to add some blueberries and all kinds of apple varieties. If you live in breathtaking Hawai'i, add passion fruit, mango,pineapple, lychee nut, papaya and  slivers of fresh coconut.

Whatever the season, keep an eye out for fresh fruit on sale at your local farmers market or roadside fruit stands, then assemble a cheap$kate Fresh Fruit Salad- your way.

Ingredients (2 servings)

• 1 banana
• 12-20 cherries
• 1 apple
• 1 orange
• 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice - can add more or less to your taste.
• More fruit to add: peach, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, mango, papaya, pineapple, nectarine, plum, melon, watermelon and grapes.

Directions
For apples, just remove the apple core and stem, then chop.

Cherries are sliced all around the center. You then twist the opposite ends of cherry to expose the seed. Now just pry it out with a knife, small spoon or use your fingers.

I slice an orange in half. Then, slice off the skin and pith to expose the orange flesh. Now just slice of the orange into bite-sizes. Remove any seeds if necessary.

For a banana, peel and slice, but only do it just before serving your Fruit Salad. Bananas do not keep long once the peel is off.

Finally, give the fruit a squeeze of lime or lemon juice. I add about a tablespoon. You can add more or less to suit you own taste.

Broccoli, Tangerine and Yogurt Salad

The Cheap$kate Chef's latest healthy recipe has it all: nutritious veggies, sweet and tangy  fruit, crunchy nuts, pungent dried fruit and creamy yogurt. And my Broccoli, Tangerine and Yogurt  Salad recipe is wife approved!

This low calorie delightful mix is simple to make and taste even better the next day. The most  complicated part is to give the broccoli a quick bath in hot water for a minute, then cool it  back down in cold water. Oh, and there is a little chopping of the broccoli and peeling a tangerine or an orange.

I get all these ingredients cheaply, of course. Fresh broccoli is always coming up on sale. I  like to use the whole thing, stem and all. Usually I peel some of the stem, it's more tender  that way. I blanch the broccoli for a minute, but if you like your veggies extra crunchy and  raw, then skip the blanching.

I used a couple of small tangerines. Oranges are a cheaper substitution and are just as tasty.  Be sure to take out any seeds though. Canned Mandarin oranges are an easy way to go.

I find dried cranberries on sale at my local 99c only Store, but if you can't, then just use raisins, the taste will be fine.

I sprinkled on roasted peanuts. It's best to use unsalted. If salted peanuts are on sale then  use them. Just be sure to brush off the salt. If you rinse the peanuts then blot off the  excess water. The peanuts don't have to be totally dry, since you are adding them to wet  yogurt. Of course, if you or anyone in the family is allergic to nuts, them leave them out, my  salad will be just as delish.

You only need a small container of yogurt. It's best to use plain yogurt. Although I've used  lightly flavored ones like vanilla or honey. And you can use low fat yogurt.

When everything is mixed, keep it refrigerated until ready to serve. My cheap$kate veggie and  fruit salad travels well, either to a party, a picnic, or to the office.

Give this Internet Chef's Broccoli, Tangerine and Yogurt Salad a go. It makes a light and  refreshing  snack anytime of day.

Ingredients (about 2-3 servings)
1 pound broccoli - about 4 cups when florets are broken down and stems chopped.
1 small container of plain yogurt - 5 to 7 ounces or about 3/4 cup. You can use low fat, or  regular yogurt. Okay to add more yogurt to desired creaminess. You can use a lightly flavored  yogurt like vanilla or honey. Fruit yogurt may be too much of a good thing. (And, you can  substitute yogurt with mayo or sour cream.)
1 cup of tangerine or orange - peeled and sliced into bite sizes. Remove seeds if  necessary. You can add more or less to taste. Okay to use a can of Mandarin oranges, if they're cheap enough.
1/2 cup of dried cranberries or raisins - again you can add more or less to taste.
1/2 cup of unsalted peanuts - or any favorite or local nuts, like: cashews, almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc. If salted peanuts are on sale then use them, just rinse or brush off the salt first, or the salad will be way to salty. If you are allergic to nuts them leave them out - the Broccoli  Salad will still be delish.

Directions
Get a pot of water heating up to a low boil.

Prep the broccoli. Chop off the stalks. I like to peel the larger pieces. Chop the stalks into  bite sizes. Separate the broccoli florets into smaller sizes. If the floret is very large  then slice it in half or quarters.

Add the broccoli to boiling water. Cook the broccoli for no more than a minute. You don't want  to overcook. Crunchy is good for this recipe. If you like your veggies really raw then skip it  and go right to mixing all the ingredients together. You can use less water and just steam the broccoli for a minute.

After a minute of blanching add broccoli to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. Drain  the broccoli before mixing all the other ingredients.

I use peanuts for my recipe, but you can use any nuts you like or find on sale. For salted  peanuts, brush or rinse them off. Allow the peanuts to dry for a couple of minutes or blot  them off with a paper towel. They don't have to be completely dry, as you will be adding wet  yogurt anyway.

Next, peel a tangerines or an orange. Slice the fruit into bite sized segments. Remove seeds if  necessary.

Now time to bring it all together. In a large bowl, add the drained and cooled broccoli. 

Mix in the fruit, nuts and dried cranberries (or raisins). Finally spoon on yogurt. Mix it all  together.

 

Store the Broccoli, Fruit and Yogurt Salad in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Hindsight
Of course, you can blanch or steam broccoli longer to desired tenderness.

Adjust any of the ingredients to suit your taste. If you want more creaminess, then  add more yogurt. If you don't care for yogurt then substitute with mayo or sour cream.

If you have a lot of peanuts to get rid off, then add more to the salad. Same goes for raisins, and tangerine or oranges.

And, best to finish this off in a couple of days, as the yogurt begins to deteriorate and break down - but you can refresh the salad with a spoonful or two of fresh yogurt.

This salad is easy to double for more servings.