Gingered Fruit Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Combine the sugar, 1/4 cup water, ginger and lime zest in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar is melted. Remove it from the heat and refrigerate until cold.
• Strain the mixtures into a large bowl and toss in the strawberries, kiwis, mango, oranges, pineapple and papaya to coat. Cover and refrigerate again until cold, at least 1 hour.
• Serve in small bowls and garnish with the chopped mint.

Steps:

• In 1-cup microwavable measuring cup, mix dressing ingredients. Microwave uncovered on High 20 to 30 seconds or until hot. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• In very large bowl, mix salad ingredients. Pour dressing over fruit; toss gently to coat.

Steps:

• 1. Prepare all fruit by washing, peeling if desired, removing pits and slicing into bite-size pieces. Melons may be scooped out with a melon baller, if desired.
• 2. Combine all fruit in a large ceramic bowl.
• 3. Mix lime juice, rind, honey, and ginger together. Pour over fruit, toss, cover and marinate for at least six hours.
• 4. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Make syrup:
• Bring water, sugar, and ginger to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan, then stir until sugar is dissolved. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat and let steep 15 minutes. Pour ginger syrup through a sieve into a bowl, discarding ginger. Chill, covered, at least 2 hours.
• Make fruit salad:
• Toss fruit and mint with 1/4 cup syrup, or to taste.

Steps:

• All fruit should be washed and dried before being ready for the salad.
• Cut skin from pineapple, so no brown spots are left. Cut peeled fruit into quarters lengthwise, cut off core, then dice each quarter into approximate one-inch chunks. Place in large bowl.
• Peel and remove seeds from the cantaloupe, then cut into one-inch cubes. Place in bowl with pineapple.
• Halve or quarter strawberries, depending on size, and add to bowl.
• Slice each nectarine into about 10-12 slices, then gently pull each slice away from pit and add them to the bowl.
• Cut the ends off of kiwi fruits, then insert a small spoon just under peel of each, and slide it around the fruit, just under the peel, until the peel is separated from the fruit. Cut each peeled kiwi in half lengthwise, then each half into four or five slices. Add to the rest of fruit.
• Add blueberries and blackberries to the rest of fruit. Prepare dressing (below).
• In a small bowl (I actually prefer a mason jar to shake the ingredients together in), mix together honey, lime juice and zest, ginger (I use a microplane to grate it fine), and poppy seeds. Whisk well, then pour over fruit and toss gently to coat.
• (You can prepare this salad up to a day ahead of time, but keep the different kinds of fruit separated from each other just until serving, or the colors will bleed. It tastes best at room temperature. The dressing actually tastes better made a day in advance anyway).
• TIPS ON FINDING RIPE FRUIT: For pineapple, the skin should be slightly yellow, firm to the touch but not hard--will give a little. And, when a leaf near the top of the fruit is tugged gently, it should easily remove from the fruit. For cantaloupe, it should be firm but give slightly, a bit yellowish on the rind--those "veins" are a good sign--it means they were left long enough on the ground to ripen properly. And, if you poke a fingernail in the top "dime" spot, you should be able to smell the fruit. If you can't smell anything, it's not ripe. Strawberries should be shiny and fragrant. Nectarines should have a slight give and be fragrant. Blueberries and blackberries should be firm and deeply colored. Kiwi fruit should be firm, but not rock hard--must have a very slight "give".

Steps:

• Combine juices, honey and brandy (if using) in a measuring cup or bowl.
• In a large bowl combine fruits (except for the kiwi) and ginger.
• Pour sauce over fruit and toss. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
• Spoon salad into bowls and top with kiwi slices.

Steps:

• In container with tight-fitting lid, shake dressing ingredients until well mixed.
• Divide spinach among 4 serving plates. Top each with chicken, mango, grapes, onions and pecans. Drizzle with dressing.

Steps:

• Remove zest from 1 lime in strips with a vegetable peeler and cut any white pith from strips with a sharp knife. Squeeze 3 tablespoons juice from limes. Bring zest, water, and sugar to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then boil, uncovered, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice. Let syrup stand 20 minutes, then remove zest with a slotted spoon and discard.
• Toss together mangoes, blueberries, and syrup in a large bowl and sprinkle with ginger.