Recipe Developed by Dana Jacobi
A sweet and savory salad can make for some of the best summer fare. This twist on fruit salad features all the colorful favorites in the traditional dish with the addition of an ambrosia dressing. Melon, grapes, blueberries and pineapple all contain fiber, vitamins, minerals and a variety of cancer-fighting phytochemicals. Top it all off with orange, coconut and creamy cottage cheese for a bold and zesty flavor without a lot of added sugar. Makes 6 servings. Per Serving: 83 calories, 1 g total fat (<1 g saturated fat), 16 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 277 mg sodium. Ingredients: Dressing
- 1 medium organic navel orange
- 1/2 cup small-curd cottage cheese
- 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar, preferably white
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2-3 drops hot pepper sauce Salad
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup honeydew melon cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup red grapes halved lengthwise
- 1/2 cup fresh pineapple cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 medium peach or nectarine cut into 3/4-inch slices then cut each slice in thirds
- 6 Boston lettuce leaves, for garnish
- 1 Tbsp. reduced-fat or regular unsweetened shredded coconut, for garnish
Directions
Using swivel-blade peeler, remove two 1-inch x 2-inch strips of zest from orange. Chop zest and set aside. Slice off top and bottom of orange. Stand orange on one end and cut away peel and white pith. Cut orange in half vertically and put one half aside. Holding other half of orange over bowl of mini food processor, slip knife between flesh and membrane on each side of segments to release flesh. Squeeze remaining membrane juice into bowl. Pulse processor 3 or 4 times to coarsely chop orange. Add cottage cheese, vinegar, salt, and whirl until dressing is almost smooth puree. Add chopped zest, 2 or 3 drops hot sauce and whirl to combine. In mixing bowl, add blueberries, melon, grapes, pineapple, and peach or nectarine. Mix fruit with 1/2 cup dressing. (Refrigerate leftover dressing up to 24 hours as dip for celery and carrot sticks or apple slices.) Line platter with lettuce and spoon fruit salad on top. Cut remaining orange half crosswise and arrange slices around fruit salad. Sprinkle coconut on fruit salad.