Summer Fun Fruit Recipes *

Fruit Pizza

Ingredients:
1 package Pillsbury slice and bake sugar cookie dough
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
Strawberries, sliced in half length-wise
Bananas, sliced and dipped in lemon juice
Mandarin oranges
Blueberries
Grapes, may slice in half
Star fruit, sliced
½ c. preserves (apricot, apple or peach)
1 T. water

Directions:
Preheat over to 350°. Slice cookie dough in 1/8-inch-thick pieces. Pat together to form a crust on a 14-inch, greased pizza pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool.

Blend cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Spread over cooled crust. Arrange assorted fruits in circles of filling (i.e. strawberries in outer ring, one ring of banana slices, one ring Mandarin oranges, one ring blueberries, one ring green grapes and one slice of star fruit in the center). Make glaze by thinning preserves with water. Brush glaze over fruit. Chill before serving and refrigerate leftovers. 12 serving. (Recipe from Debbie Petzold)

Mango Bread

Ingredients:
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
¼ c. chopped nuts
¾ c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1½ c. sugar
2 c. mangoes, peeled and mashed
3 eggs, beaten
1 c. raisins or ½ c. raisins and ½ c. flaked coconut

Directions: Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix well and add nuts, oil, vanilla, sugar, mangoes, eggs and raisins. Well grease and flour two loaf pans. Pour in loaf pans and let stand for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake one hour.

Substitutions: May substitute applesauce, pumpkin pie filling or grated carrots for mangoes. Yields 2 loaves. (Recipe from Vickie Musni)

Summertime Fresh Strawberry Pie

Ingredients for Butter Pecan Crust:
(Store-bought pie crust may be used but this recipe is delicious!)
½ c. butter
½ c. flour
¼ c. light brown sugar
1/3 c. chopped pecans

Directions: Preheat oven to 375°. Blend butter, flour and sugar unless crumbs form. Stir in nuts. Press into 10-inch pie plate. Bake 12-15 minutes.

Ingredients for Strawberry Pie Filling:
1 c. water
1 c. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1 3-oz. box of strawberry jello
1½ to 2 quarts fresh strawberries

Directions: Mix water, sugar and cornstarch in pan. Bring to a boil. Add jello. Set aside to cool. Fill baked pie shell with cleaned and hulled strawberries. Pour cooked mixture over strawberries. Chill 2 hours. 8 servings (Recipe from Christie Pannapacker)

Fruit Salad Smoothies 

Ingredients:
Cubed watermelon
Cubed cantaloupe
Cubed honeydew
Sliced strawberries
Diced pears 
Other fresh seasonal fruit
2 6-oz. containers of coconut cream yogurt

Directions: This is a great recipe for your leftover fruit salad. You can use any combination of fresh, seasonal fruit. Sweeter varieties work best. Freeze 3-4 cup portions of fruit mixture in Ziploc bags.

To make smoothie: Microwave one bag of frozen fruit on high for one minute. Break up fruit with hand, turn bag over and microwave one minute more. Combine fruit and yogurt in blender. Mix until well blended and smooth. 3-4 servings (Recipe from Mona Marushak)

Tropical Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
2 c. chicken, cooked and cubed
1 c. celery, chopped
1 c. mayonnaise
½ tsp. curry powder
1 20-oz. can pineapple chunks, drained
2 large firm bananas, sliced
1 11-oz. can Mandarin oranges, drained
½ c. flaked coconut
¾ c. salted peanuts or cashew halves
Salad greens (optional)

Directions: Place chicken and celery in large bowl. Combine mayonnaise and curry powder; add to chicken mixture and mix well. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. Before serving, add the pineapple, bananas, oranges and coconut; toss gently. Serve on salad greens if desired. Sprinkle with nuts. 4-6 servings (Recipe from Julie Rop)

Grape Salsa

Ingredients:
2 c. seedless grapes
½ c. chopped green onions
½ c. diced chilies (canned or fresh)
2 T. cilantro
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. bottled hot pepper seasoning (i.e.: Tabasco) or to taste
Tortilla chips

Directions: Chop grapes and onions coarsely. Add remaining ingredients (except chips) and let stand for one hour. Drain off liquid before serving. Serve with tortilla chips. Makes three cups. (Recipe from Christie Daugherty)

*Recipes from the Fruit: Fresh, Fun, Fabulous! cookbook compiled by Mary Beth Lagerborg, published by MOPS International (2004).