by Caroline St Clare

Created on: July 21, 2011

An overflowing fruit bowl brightens up a room in much the same way as a vase of flowers. While the roses and carnations just look pretty, fresh fruit is sweet and healthy and makes the ideal snack. While fresh fruit is delicious when eaten on its own, it can become a little mundane. Fortunately, fresh fruit is extremely versatile and can be cooked and prepared in a multitude of ways. The following recipes using fresh fruit are perfect for the warmer summer months.

The first recipe, fresh fruit skewers, is quick and easy to put together and can be grilled or cooked on a barbecue. They’re also fun for children who want to get involved in the food preparation as they can assemble the skewers with their favorite fruit.

Fresh fruit skewers

What you'll need:

Choose from a selection of seasonal fresh fruit. Fruits which work well together include bananas, pineapple, strawberries, kiwi fruit, peaches, nectarines, mango and oranges. You will also need around two tablespoons of runny honey or maple syrup, and some skewers, preferably wooden.

Method:

Step 1: If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water for around 10 minutes before using. This is to avoid them burning during cooking.

Step 2: Preheat the grill to high if you are grilling and line a grill pan with foil.

Step 3: Prepare the fruit of your choice by chopping or slicing them into even sized chunks of around one inch.

Step 4: Alternately thread pieces of fruit onto the skewer, while trying to avoid putting similar colors next to each other. As an example, start with a piece of pineapple, followed by a strawberry, kiwi, banana, strawberry, peach, kiwi and finish with pineapple.

Step 5: Gently heat the honey or maple syrup until it's quite runny, then lightly brush the mixture over the fruit.

Step 6: Place the skewers lined up on the grill pan or barbecue and grill for 5-8 minutes until the fruit softens and the honey or syrup begins caramelizing. Turn half way through.

Take care to let your skewers cool down a little before eating, as the caramelized syrup retains its heat for a while.

Quick summer fruit meringues

Summer fruit meringues couldn’t be easier to make. By purchasing ready-made mini meringue shells, you can assemble them in under 15 minutes and they require no cooking. Choose from a selection of brightly colored summer fruits, such as a mixture of berries and kiwi fruit.

Ingredients: To serve 6

6 ready made mini meringue shells
8 oz of mixed berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries)
1 kiwi fruit
8 oz fromage frais
1-2 teaspoons of icing sugar or sweetener to taste
Half a teaspoon of vanilla essence
Aerosol cream

Method:

Wash and prepare your fruit. Slice the strawberries in half, then slice and quarter the kiwi fruit. Mix the icing sugar or sweetener into the fromage frais and add the vanilla essence. Pile a tablespoon of fromage frais into each meringue shell then arrange your fruit on top. Finally, just before serving, give each meringue a squirt of aerosol cream. And for a slightly decadent touch, you could always sprinkle each meringue with a tiny amount of grated chocolate.

Preparing delicious and appetizing recipes using fresh fruit doesn’t have to involve hours of preparation. In a matter of minutes you can whip up the most professional looking desserts using whichever fresh fruit is in season at the time. Fresh fruit skewers and quick summer fruit meringues are two quick and easy to prepare recipes which can transform ordinary fruit into special treats.

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