Fruit salad contains fiber and nutrients.
Prepare a dessert salad tonight and enjoy a healthy and delicious finale to your meal. Pick from a variety of fresh, frozen or canned fruit selections for your salad. Most dessert salads take little time to prepare and can be made ahead of time. Whatever type of salad or fruits you select to experiment with, you are likely to receive compliments from everyone.
Gelatin Salads
Gelatin salads can be made early in the day and offer a versatile and refreshing end to any meal. Starting with you favorite flavor of gelatin as a base, add such ingredients as chopped nuts, sour cream and mayonnaise to liven the taste. For something different, add layers of sweetened cream cheese. Chill each layer of gelatin until set, spread the cream cheese mixture on each layer and pile each gelatin layer on top of each other to create a cakelike effect. Almost all fruits -- canned or fresh -- are a welcome addition to gelatin salads for texture and taste. However, do not add fresh pineapple because the gelatin will fail to set.
Frozen Salad
A frozen fruit salad is a refreshing dessert, especially on hot, summer nights. Combine a few cans of any flavor of frozen juice with fresh or frozen strawberries or blueberries. Other fruits to add to the mixture are canned or fresh peaches, papayas, apricots and peaches. For additional flavor, grate some sweet chocolate. For a rich taste and smooth texture, add some vanilla ice cream before freezing. Combine the ingredients thoroughly and press the mixture in an appropriate-sized pan. Freeze the mixture until solid and let sit at room temperature for several minutes before serving.
Creamy Fruit Salad
Create a creamy fruit salad by mixing cans of chunky pineapple, mandarin oranges and chopped peaches. Drain the fruit thoroughly and mix it with miniature marshmallows. Add fruit-flavored yogurt, sour cream and mayonnaise in equal proportions. Fold in some chopped almonds and coconut for texture and flavor. After the mixture has chilled for several hours, serve in wide-brimmed champagne glasses or scooped out pineapple shells.
Hot Fruit Salads
Bake your fruit to make a hot fruit dessert salad. Combine brown sugar, butter and cinnamon and blend with an assortment of fruit, including drained peaches, pears and pineapple chunks. For added flavor, stir in chopped, dried apricots, raisins or dried cranberries. Bake in the oven at a low temperature until thoroughly cooked. Serve this mixture over pound cake or ice cream.
Tags: canned fresh, cream cheese, cream mayonnaise, dessert salad, each layer, fresh frozen
