Tropical Fruit Salad with Orange-Ginger-Mint Dressing - a Mothers' Day Treat!


Last Sunday was the best Mothers' Day I had in all these six years.
The boy is growing up! Sigh!! Sigh!!


~~~
This was how our Saturday evening conversation went:

"Tomorrow is Mothers' Day! And I am going to make Chocolate chip Pancakes for you!" That's HIS favorite breakfast!

 "But sweetie.... I am not too fond of Pancakes!"

"Aww.. Freanch toast??"

"I don't like it either...."

"Then what do you like???"  - A note of impatience in the tone.

"Toast and scrambled eggs"

"TOAST AND SCRAMBLES EGGS!!!! That is not a special breakfast!!!! That's what we eat EVERYDAY!" - Visibly disturbed and almost screaming.

"But Mommy L-O-V-E-E-E-S Toast and Scrambled eggs!" - Mainly because that would mean less mess for Mommy to clean up!

"Okay!" - A profound dejection in his tone.
~~~



Sunday morning he tries to wakes his YaYa (that's what he calls his Dad) as gently as possible by a six year old! I wake up instead.

Go back to sleep. Don't come out. I am making a surprise breakfast.

I lay on the bed, checking and re checking my FB news feed. I might have dozed off a little too. And then, after what seemed like an eternity, came the announcement:

Close your eyes and follow me!

On my way to the dining table, a quick glance assured that nothing catastrophic happened in the kitchen. And then, waiting for me on the table was one of my favorite breakfast - Toast with Basil Pesto and Tomatoes and Scrambled Eggs!



When I told Sid, I wanted Toast and Scrambled Eggs, I had envisioned eggs stuffed between two slices of bread. Never in my dreams I imagined that they would make such a gorgeous platter for me, complete with my favorite Pineapple Green Tea!

 Awww... I love you both!


And when I thought the morning couldn't get any better, came another delightful surprise - a delicious fruit salad! The best I have ever tasted. 

All Most of my favorite fruits in one bowl - mango - pineapple - papaya - kiwi
The dressing was a killer. Orange juice + lime juice + grated ginger + honey + mint. I was blown over. There couldn't have been a better treat! 


By the time I was served breakfast, it was 10:30 in the morning. I was so stuffed that I reserved the salad for lunch. This Sunday morning was unusually warm. The chilled salad was just perfect. Along with a giant glass of Ayran, it was a delightful lunch. Later in the day, we went for an impromptu movie and a dinner at a Italian restaurant with a bunch of friends. 

The BEST Mothers' Day ever!!!


And even though they didn't realize it, Sam and Sid gave me a precious little gift - a blog-post! To share this incredible and utterly delicious fruit salad, with a incredulously delectable dressing, with all of you!

Recipe Snapshot: Tropical Fruit Salad 

Serves: 3 serving
(1 serving = 1.5 cup)

What I used:
Red Papaya - 1/2 of a one whole papaya (a little over a one cup), diced into smallish cubes

Mango - 1 largish size, peeled and diced into smallish cubes

Pineapple - 1/2 of a one pineapple (a little over a one cup), diced into smallish cubes

Kiwi - 3 medium sized, peeled and diced into smallish cubes

Dressing:
Orange Juice - juice of one small clementine (3 tablespoons)

Lime Juice - juice of half a lime (1 tablespoon)

Ginger - a small knob, grated

Honey - 1/2 a teaspoon

Mint leaves - 4 leaved, finely chopped + more for garnishing

Himalayan Pink Salt 

What I did:
1. In a large bowl combine the diced fruits along with the juices it released during the chopping process.

2. In a small bowl, combine the orange and lime juice. Stir in the honey and give a good whisk to dissolve the honey. Add the mint leaves and salt and mix well.

3. Pour the dressing over the fruits and mix well. Chill for at least and hour.

4. Serve in pretty bowl or tall glasses, garnished with more mint leaves.


Notes/Tip: This soup does not have many ingredients. The garlic is the most pronounced flavor in this soup along with the subtle tang from the tomatoes. If you have really tart tomatoes, decrease the quantity of tomatoes and increase the amount of lentil or add a a little sugar to balance out.


Diabetic Platter:
Papaya Papayas offer not only the luscious taste and sunlit color of the tropics, but are rich sources of antioxidant nutrients such as carotenes, vitamin C and flavonoids; the B vitamins, folate and pantothenic acid; and the minerals, potassium, copper, and magnesium; and fiber. Together, these nutrients promote the health of the cardiovascular system and also provide protection against colon cancer. In addition, papaya contains the digestive enzyme, papain, which is used like bromelain, a similar enzyme found in pineapple, to treat sports injuries, other causes of trauma, and allergies.
Read More: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=47


Mango Research has shown antioxidant compounds in mango fruit have been found to protect against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers. These compounds include quercetin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, fisetin, gallic acid and methylgallat, as well as the abundant enzymes.
The high levels of fiber, pectin and vitamin C help to lower serum cholesterol levels, specifically Low-Density Lipoprotein (the bad stuff)
Can be used both internally and externally for the skin. Mangos clear clogged pores and eliminate pimples. (Read more on page 5.)
One cup of sliced mangoes supplies 25 percent of the needed daily value of vitamin A, which promotes good eyesight and prevents night blindness and dry eyes.
The tartaric acid, malic acid, and a trace of citric acid found in the fruit help to maintain the alkali reserve of the body.
Read More: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-health-benefits-of-mangos.html


Pineapple For all its sweetness, one cup of pineapple chunks contains only 82 calories. Pineapples are also fat-free, cholesterol-free and low in sodium. Not surprisingly, they do contain sugar, with 16 grams per cup. Pineapple contains half of the daily-recommended value of vitamin C, according to the FDA. The fruit contains nearly 75 percent of the daily-recommended value of the mineral manganese, which is essential in developing strong bones and connective tissue, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Like many other fruits and vegetables, pineapple contains dietary fiber, which is essential in keeping you regular and in keeping your intestines healthy, according to the Mayo Clinic. But unlike many other fruits and veggies, pineapple contains significant amounts of bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down protein, possibly helping digestion, according to the American Cancer Society.


Kiwi - Kiwifruit can offer a great deal more than an exotic tropical flair in your fruit salad. These emerald delights contain numerous phytonutrients as well as well known vitamins and minerals that promote your health. The fiber in kiwifruit has also been shown to be useful for a number of conditions. Researchers have found that diets that contain plenty of fiber can reduce high cholesterol levels, which may reduce the risk of heart disease and heart attack. Fiber is also good for binding and removing toxins from the colon, which is helpful for preventing colon cancer. In addition, fiber-rich foods, like kiwifruit, are good for keeping the blood sugar levels of diabetic patients under control.
Read More: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=41

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Comments

  1. Aww ... so so sweet.
    Sid is a good boy. Happy Mom's day, perfect Mom! :-)

    ReplyDelete

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