These are the best ideas to take advantage of summer fruits: tricks and delicious recipes

Fruit is a versatile food that can be enjoyed in its natural state or combined with any other ingredient. A little imagination is enough. This is the proof!

• Seasonal fruit: how to take advantage of it
• Different ideas to include fruit in your menus
• 5 original recipes with fruit

A diet rich in fruit has many health advantages. The regular consumption of fruit, loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber and other phytonutrients, helps reduce inflammation in the body and the appearance of chronic diseases.

It is usually eaten in its original state as a snack, dessert or added to sweet dishes, but with imagination it can be included in a wide variety of exquisite and surprising recipes.

Strawberries, apricots, cherries, plums, watermelons, melons, nectarines, figs, apples, currants, raspberries, kiwis, mangoes, papayas… Throughout the summer there are different varieties of fruits that fill our kitchens with color, aroma and flavor.

Between meals, before eating or in desserts, fruits refresh the body and recharge us with their sweet energy.

Some are digestive, others depurative and others satiating, but all provide large amounts of vitamins, antioxidants, water and fiber. In addition, most provide few calories and little fat. 

It is in full summer heyday when the fruit is most desired and when the body needs it most. The high temperatures of summer, responsible for the loss of fluids from the body, remind us that fruit is a healthy and tasty way to keep the body hydrated.

Including it in your menus is a good way to take advantage of all its virtues.

SEASONAL FRUIT: HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT

Fruits, traditionally the protagonists of desserts, assault menus today. They appear in numerous preparations, both cold and hot, to which they provide all their nutritional properties and their delicious sweet and sour taste.

In summer, especially interesting is its prominence in salads and gazpacho, to get light, refreshing, nutritious dishes loaded with the essential vitamins.

Thanks to the influence of exotic cuisines and the recovery of historic cuisines, the bittersweet taste is taking its place in our recipe books.

Therefore, with this article we propose you to discover different and exotic recipes full of healthy and tasty fruits. Dare to prepare them.

It is always better to cook with seasonal fruit to ensure maximum flavor and nutrients, and take advantage of the harvest, so do not hesitate todaptar the recipes. In summer, for example, the mango can be replaced by the peach.

• Varied salads. There is no simpler formula than adding fruit to salads, because you can use any type and in any way: raw, sautéed, baked… or even in vinaigrette, then using soft fruit such as berries, peach or mango.
• Stews, stir-fries and curries. The combination of salty and sweet taste is ideal. A clear example are the stews of legumes and vegetables with apples, plums or pears, the quick sautéed with pineapple, peach, orange or mango, or sweet and sour sauces.
• Balanced flavors. The fruit is usually sweet, so you have to balance its sweetness with acidic, salty or spicy foods. Mixing it with spinach, arugula, kale, tempeh or tahini in the main dishes, as well as with spicy foods and spices (curry, turmeric, garlic, ginger, chili …) in curries and sauces gives delicious results.
• Beyond the traditional dessert. In dessert the fruit serves to prepare custards, creams and, above all, to sweeten the preparations and use less sweeteners.

DIFFERENT IDEAS TO INCLUDE FRUIT IN YOUR MENUS

• Snacks. Instead of tomato and lettuce, put nectarine, peach or apple.
• With cheese. Accompany it with berry sauce, applesauce, caramelized pear or a couple of fresh figs.
• Cold soups. Add seasonal fruit when crushing the rest.
• Chutneys. Prepare this preserve with fruit, vegetables and spices.
• Dried fruit. Include raisins, dates or blueberries in curries, salads and stews.

5 ORIGINAL RECIPES WITH FRUIT

FRIED TRICOLOR QUINOA WITH CARAMELIZED PINEAPPLE, MUSHROOMS AND AROMATIC HERBS

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4):

• 185 g tricolor quinoa
• 1 small pineapple or half large pineapple
• 1 red bell pepper
• 8 mushrooms
• 1 spring onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 cm fresh ginger
• 150 g peas
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon chili or cayenne (optional)
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons roasted cashews
• fresh cilantro and mint

PREPARATION (10′):

1. Pour the quinoa into a fine colander and rinse it. Then, put it in a pot with a pinch of salt and twice as much water. That is, if you add a cup of quinoa, you will put two of water.
2. Bring to a boil, cover it, lower the heat and let it cook until it is cooked and the water has been absorbed. Let stand for five minutes.
3. Peel and chop the spring onion reserving the green part. Chop the garlic and ginger. The pepper cut it in half and into pieces, and the mushrooms, into slices.
4. Remove the skin to the pineapple and cut the pulp into pieces, without the hard heart. Caramelize the pineapple in a pan with a tablespoon of oil, and set aside.
5. Heat a tablespoon of oil and add the mushrooms, salt and a tablespoon of soy sauce. Stir five minutes over high heat, and store.
6. Heat two tablespoons of oil in another pan and add the onion, garlic, ginger and pepper. When the onion is transparent, add the peas and salt and cook five more minutes.
7. Add the quinoa, soy sauce, cayenne, pineapple and mushrooms and stir over medium-high heat for five minutes. Serve with coriander, mint, the green part of the spring onion and cashews.

SWEET AND SOUR TEMPEH SAUTÉED WITH ONION AND PEACHES

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4):

• 500 g tempeh
• 2 large peaches
• 2 onions
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or erytritol
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• a pinch of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or a clove of garlic
• black pepper
• 4 sprigs thyme

PREPARATION (40′):

1. Fill a casserole with water, add the tempeh and leave it on low heat for about 10 minutes to remove the bitter taste. Then dry it well and cut it into strips or fillets.
2. Cut the peaches in half, remove the bones and cut them into segments. Then, peel the onions and julienne them.
3. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and fry the tempeh until golden brown, about two minutes on each side. Then remove from heat and set aside.
4. Heat another two tablespoons of olive oil in another pan and add the onion and a pinch of salt. Let it cook for 10 minutes over low heat. After that time, push the onion to the edges of the pan and add the peaches and a pinch of salt. Wait about 10 minutes, until you notice that the fruit begins to caramelize.
5. Prepare a sauce by mixing vinegar, syrup, soy sauce, mustard and cinnamon in a bowl.
6. Put the tempeh pan back on the heat and add the sauce. Let it cook for three minutes over low heat, stirring until it covers everything. If necessary, add water. Serve with black pepper and fresh thyme.

VARIANT

Alternatively, you can make the recipe by adding plums or apples.

WHITE BEAN AND APPLE CURRY WITH VEGETABLES AND A TOUCH OF LEMON

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4):

• 400 g cooked white beans
• 2 Fuji red apples
• 1 celery stick
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tomato
• a handful of spinach
• 100 ml water or vegetable broth
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons yellow curry paste or one curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• a pinch of cinnamon
• a pinch of cayenne (optional)
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• pepper and salt
• fresh lemon to serve

PREPARATION (40′):

1. Prepare the fruit and vegetables first. Cut the celery in half lengthwise and sliced. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Discourage the apples and cut them into cubes with the skin. And peel the tomato and grate or crush it.
2. Heat the oil in a large pot and add the onion, celery, garlic and a pinch of salt. Sauté five minutes and add the apples and a little more salt. Let it sauté for about five more minutes.
3. Add the spices and give it a couple of turns in the pan. Next, add the crushed tomato, beans, coconut milk and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes, until the apples are ready. If necessary, incorporate a little water. Check the taste, in case it is necessary to put a little more salt.
4. Add the fresh spinach, mix everything well, turn off the heat and serve with lemon slices and a little rice.

VARIANT

If you wish, you can change the apple for mango. And you like spicy, prepare the sauce with red curry paste.

SPINACH SALAD WITH TOFU FETA, PISTACHIOS AND RED FRUIT VINAIGRETTE

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4):

For the salad:

• 300 g spinach
• 150 g strawberries
• 150 g blueberries
• 1 red onion
• 1 avocado
• 4 tablespoons roasted pistachios

For the tofu feta:

• 250 g firm tofu
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon white miso (optional)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the red fruit vinaigrette:

• 1 cup strawberries and blueberries
• 2 tablespoons Modena vinegar
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• black pepper and salt

PREPARATION (20′):

1. For the tofu feta, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, minced garlic, miso, and yeast. Then dry the tofu well, cut it into 1 cm cubes and introduce it into the previous preparation to macerate it for at least two hours, although the ideal is from one day to the next.
2. Make the vinaigrette by crushing the ingredients until you get a smooth sauce. Try it and add vinegar, salt or sweetener to taste.
3. Prepare the salad by washing the spinach and fruit. Clean the strawberries and cut them in half, cut the onion into slices, and the avocado, into cubes.
4. In a salad bowl place, the spinach with the onion, fruit, avocado, feta and pistachios, and serve with the vinaigrette.

VARIANT

You can add, if you want to complete the salad, some cooked or crispy chickpeas (baked about 20 minutes).

CASHEW CHEESE MOUSSE WITH APRICOT TOPPING AND BISCUIT BASE

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4-6):

• 250 g raw cashews
• 200 g apricots
• 60 ml almond milk or other vegetable drink
• 4 tablespoons cocoa butter or coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 75 ml maple syrup or 70 g erythritol
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• juice of half a lemon
• a pinch of salt
• 4 mint leaves

PREPARATION (30′):

1. Cover the cashews with water and let them soak for about four hours, to activate them and soften. Then drain them well and set them aside. Discard the soaking water.
2. Prepare a compote with the apricots. To do this, preheat the oven to 180 degrees while cutting the apricots in half and removing the pit. Cut them into large, segment-shaped pieces and place these segments in a baking dish, sprinkle them with the sugar, a pinch of salt and bake for about 20 minutes.
3. Crush the soaked cashews with the vegetable drink, cocoa butter, vanilla extract, juice of the half lemon and sweetener of your choice, maple syrup or erythritol. You will get a mousse. Taste the taste.
4. To plate, divide the cashew cream you have obtained into 4-6 medium glasses. Then, add the apricot compote and, without mixing, let it cool in the fridge for at least two hours.
5. When serving, add some mint or mint leaves to decorate.
6. If you put a cookie base you will turn this delicious mousse into an original cheesecake in a cup and give an exquisite crunchy touch to the dessert. Crush six cookies and distribute them as a base of the cream.

FRUIT SALADS: TIPS AND RECIPES

Fruit salads (fresh, light and full of color and flavor) allow you to eat in a healthy and balanced way. They are appetizing recipes, low in calories and, at the same time, very refreshing.

In addition, eating fruit at the beginning of the meal improves its digestibility, because this food is digested more quickly than others.

Combining fruit with leafy vegetables, vegetables, legumes, cereals, pasta, nuts or different varieties of cheese gives rise to endless gastronomic possibilities that contribute to enrich and balance the diet.

They also help increase daily doses of vitamins and minerals.

A good base of varied lettuce, sweet or bitter, combines perfectly with most fruits. Endive, endive, lollo, buds, arugula, canons, watercress, oak leaf, trocadero, roman… All of them are good options.

When preparing a salad, it is important to know how to combine vegetables according to their texture, flavor and color.

Carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, peppers, cucumbers, celery and young garlic can be used raw.

But it is also possible to include other lightly cooked vegetables: beans, slingshots, pumpkin, eggplant, cauliflower, beets and cabbages.

Fresh or short dry pasta (bows, macaroni, fusili, shells …), rice (white, basmati or brown), quinoa, couscous and bulgur are the best options to combine with fruit. Also, potatoes and cassava, previously boiled.

The fruit also helps to improve the digestion of legumes and give a fresher touch, although you have to avoid fruits that are heavy or sometimes feel bad. Chickpeas, lentils, beans, peas and young beans, accompanied by vegetables and fruits, provide protein-rich dishes, while light and refreshing.

Dried fruits, such as raisins, plums or apricots are a good complement to salads. So are nuts, which provide calcium, proteins and quality fats to salads as well as a crunchy texture. The seeds (sesame, sunflower seeds or pumpkin), also enrich this type of recipes and complement them with appreciable doses of minerals.

THE BEST DRESSINGS FOR EACH FRUIT

A few drops of lemon and oil or a simple yogurt sauce can improve the taste of a salad. Discover the dressing that best suits each fruit:

• Regarding oil, extra virgin olive oil is always the best option. It is also possible to use other oils such as walnut, sesame or sunflower; and even better if they are cold pressed.
• In general, to dress a fruit salad you have to use lemon and cider vinegar (which are the most suitable), but the contrasting flavors of stronger vinegars are also valid. In general, a few drops of vinegar or lemon are enough to correct the acidity of the fruit.
• For salads made with strawberries or other red and acidic fruits, it is advisable to use Modena vinegar.
• For salads containing melon, a sherry vinegar is more suitable.
• When the dish includes cherries, it is tastier with a little tarragon vinegar.
• The oranges, should be seasoned with a red wine vinegar, forum type.
• The grapes are delicious if watered with a cava vinegar.
• Limes and lemons are good substitutes for vinegar, especially when fruits oxidize easily.
• To prepare a fruity mayonnaise you can use oil macerated with orange peels and even add a little orange juice to the sauce.
• To obtain a delicious apple mayonnaise, mix the sauce with a pureed apple, without sugar.
• Yogurt is a good dressing for fruits. Kefir can also be used, although its taste is noticeably more acidic. Both products are an excellent base for sauces, to which you can add herbs, lemon, oil, seeds…
• Preparing a dressing based on yogurt, cucumber, mint and oil is a good option for a green salad.
• As we have seen, when dressing a salad, you have to use your imagination: oils from different seeds or fruits, fruit vinaigrettes or nuts, seasoned fruit purees … Anything goes to get a good result.

THE BEST COMBINATIONS FOR A FRUIT SALAD

When preparing fruit salads, there are a number of combinations that are tasty and attractive. Dare to try some of them:

• Endive, with its bitter touch, combines well with slightly acidic fruits such as orange (especially sanguine), strawberry, cherries and plums.
• Endives are exquisite with apple, mango, avocado.
• Celery is excellent with nuts and more acidic tasting varieties of apples. 
• Cabbage establishes a good symbiosis with pineapple, naranla, raisins or dates.
• The most suitable cheeses for salads are fresh and neutral, but you can play with stronger flavors such as Roquefort (for apple and pears), Gouda (for grapes) and sheep’s cheese (for cherries, strawberries, watermelon).
• Blackberries mixed with apple are delicious.
• Dates bring their exquisite sweetness to salads with an oriental touch.
• Tropical fruits support spice mixtures very well, especially curry and pepper.
• The pink grapefruit, sweeter than the yellow, combines perfectly with avocado and tomato.
• The neutral flavor of avocado makes it ideal to combine with fruits such as banana and mango, and is great with pasta or boiled potatoes and red pepper.
• Fresh and aromatic herbs enhance fruit salads: mint, dill, basil, chives, coriander, parsley…

5 FRUIT SALADS YOU’LL WANT TO TRY THIS SUMMER

JOYS OF WATERMELON WITH BASIL

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4):

• Half cold watermelon
• 1 tray of fresh basil
• 2 tender buds
• 2 red tomatoes
• 1 green lollo
• 1 green pepper
• 4 garlic
• 30 g almonds
• 40 ml olive oil
• 20 ml apple cider vinegar

PREPARATION (15′):

1. Clean the tender buds well and chop their leaves. Wash fresh basil and separate the smaller leaves. Immerse the lollo in water to remove all the soil and also chop its leaves.
2. Then cut the tomatoes into squares and mix them with a little salt and olive oil.
3. Wash and cut the peppers into long strips and the young garlic into diagonal slices. Laminate the almonds as thin as possible.
4. Peel the watermelon and cut it into small cubes, removing the seeds.
5. Mix all the ingredients and dress the salad with an apple cider vinaigrette and oil.

VARIANTS

It can also be seasoned with a tomato vinaigrette, mixing the apple cider vinegar and oil with a peeled and diced red tomato.

If you prefer you can season it with a ricotta cheese sauce with basil and yogurt.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Protein: 7 g
• Carbohydrates: 24 g
• Fat: 15 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Calories: 256.

CHERRY BASKET WITH TARRAGON

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4):

• 4 oranges
• 1 arugula tray
• 1 romaine lettuce bud
• 100 g red cherries
• 1 tender onion
• 150 g Burgos fresh cheese
• 1 celery stick
• 40 ml olive oil
• 20 ml tarragon vinegar
• salt

PREPARATION (15′):

1. Cut the oranges in half, empty their pulp with the help of a pumper or spoon, and set aside.
2. Wash the lettuce and arugula, remove the stems that are too thick and chop them with your hands.
3. Cut the onion into thin strips and immerse it in cold water to curl. Cut the celery transversely into thin strips and reserve some leaves for garnish.
4. Wash the cherries and deboning or cutting them with a knife. Then cut the cheese into small balls.
5. Prepare the dressing by mixing the vinegar with a little salt and pepper and add the oil while beating.
6. Finally mix all the ingredients and season at the time of serving.

VARIANTS

To the tarragon vinaigrette you can add a little mustard.

Instead of cherries, sweet red plums can be used.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Protein: 8 g
• Carbohydrates: 7 g
• Fat: 14 g
• Cholesterol: 36 mg
• Calories: 192.

PEACH TABBOULEH WITH MINT

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4):

• 200 g couscous
• 400 ml boiling water with salt
• 3 yellow fleshed peaches
• 2 tender onions
• 300 g red tomato
• 1 celery stick
• mint
• 20 g raisins
• 20 g pine nuts
• 150 g fresh spinach
• 1 lemon
• 60 ml olive oil
• pepper and salt

PREPARATION (12′ + 10′ COOKING):

1. Toast the couscous and squeeze it with the boiling water. Cover, turn off the heat and let stand 10 minutes. After this time, separate the couscous grain with the help of two forks. Spray with oil and let cool.
2. Peel the onion and cut it into small cubes. Wash the tomato and dice it as well. Then wash the celery stick and cut it into thin strips.
3. Wash and julienne the spinach leaves and chop the fresh mint.
4. Finally peel the peaches and cut them into cubes. So that they do not blacken, sprinkle them with lemon juice.
5. Finally mix all the ingredients of the salad with the couscous and season with salt, black pepper, lemon juice and olive oil.

VARIANTS

Couscous can be prepared overnight or mix all the salad ingredients with raw couscous and some bottled water. Due to the effect of humidity, couscous swells and remains the same as if it were cooked.

If preferred, bulgur can be used instead of couscous.

You can also add strawberries, mango, nectarine or watermelon and replace raisins with apricot apricots.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Proteins. 9 g
• Carbohydrates: 52 g
• Fat: 11 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Calories: 148.

HABANERA BLACK BEAN SALAD

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4):

• 150 g black beans or beans
• 1/4 pineapple
• 1 papaya
• 1 banana a little green
• 1 avocado
• 1 lemon
• 80 g tender corn
• 25 g peanuts
• 1 star fruit
• 2 hard-boiled eggs (optional spinning)
• 1 wonder lettuce
• 4 sheets of brick paste
• olive oil

For the dressing of hot peppers

• 1 hot red pepper
• 1 garlic clove
• 20 ml sherry vinegar
• 50 ml olive oil
• pepper and salt

PREPARATION (20′ + 8′ COOKING):

1. First cook the hard-boiled eggs in salted water and remove 9 minutes after the water starts to boil. Cool and peel
2. Prepare the dressing by finely chopping the red pepper and mixing it with the garlic clove, salt, pepper, vinegar and oil.
3. Preheat the oven to 200 ºC. Cut 8 squares of brick paste, spread with oil and superimpose them two by two. Then give them the shape of a cone, using a support so that they do not lose their shape, brush them with oil again and bake until they are golden and stiff.
4. Prepare the fruits. Peel the pineapple and cut it into thin strips. Cut the papaya in half, empty it of seeds, peel it and cut it into thin segments. Cut the avocado in the same way. Peel the banana and cut it into more or less regular slices. It is advisable to spray the fruits with lemon so that they do not oxidize.
5. Wash the lettuce and cut to short strips. Cut the eggs into quarters with a kitchen thread.
6. Finally, to assemble the salad combine all the ingredients, align them and serve them inside the brick cones or a banana leaf. Garnish the plate with the star fruit cut into thin slices.

VARIANT

You can use the pepper you prefer, a fresh chilli, a piquillo pepper or a little bug.

Instead of using brick you can present the salad in a thin crepe, based on milk, flour and egg.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Protein: 73 g
• Carbohydrates: 30 g
• Fat: 25 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Calories: 394.