Since we introduced this recipe it has turned up at birthday parties, coffee breaks, receptions, kids cooking lessons, and picnics.  Each time the flavor is a little different depending on the fruit and yogurt chosen.  In the winter, there were more mandarin oranges, bananas and apples on the pizzas, now I see peaches, berries, and melon which are plentiful and in season.

Sometimes it is served in wedges; other times the crust is divided into 8 individual cookies so that each person can “decorate” their cookie with the fruit of their choice.  Kids can help make the cookie and they love to decorate with their favorite fruits. 

Another idea is to use the shape of the cookie or the fruit colors to tie into the theme of a party.  Last year I made a football shaped cookie for a Super Bowl Party.   Berries could support a patriotic 4th of July fruit pizza.

When we are thirsty, water really is the perfect choice.  It keeps us hydrated and healthy, it has no calories, and it is inexpensive.  Here is a comparison of some drinks I found (costs are from Central Iowa, April 2012):

If plain water is not for you, here are a few ideas to try:

• Freeze juice in ice cube trays and cool down your glass of water with flavored ice cubes.
• Put cut up fruit in a pitcher of water in the refrigerator – the flavor of the fruit will flavor the water.  Oranges, lemons, limes, kiwi and berries work really well for this.
• Put water in a special cup or water bottle and store it in the refrigerator so it is easy to grab in a hurry.  Sometimes water tastes great plain when it is in a special cup.
• Add low-calorie drink mixes (such as Crystal Light) to your water.

Check out choosemyplate.gov this May through August to see what the USDA is doing to promote drinking water instead of sugary drinks.

Justine Hoover, MS, RD, LD

Here are some tips if you would like to try it now to see if you want to include it for your holiday meals.

• Use any canned, frozen, or fresh fruit.  When you combine different fruit colors and shapes I think the salad looks more interesting.
• If you want to use fresh fruit, consider oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, pears, pomegranates, apples and papayas because they are plentiful or “in season” in the winter months and usually cost less.   (Bananas are also a good buy year round.)
• The fruit can either be arranged on the plate with the sauce drizzled over the top, or for a faster version, just combine the cut up fruit with the cooled sauce and serve.
• The juice in the recipe adds flavor and nutrients, but you can get by without it.
• You can vary the color and flavor of the sauce by using different flavors of gelatin.  One package of gelatin mix makes enough for 2 salads. Store and label the leftover gelatin for the next time you want to dress up your fruit.

I like this recipe because it looks special, but does not add a lot of sugar and fat (i.e. calories) to the fruit.

I would love to know how it works for you.

Holiday Fruit Salad

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (1/2 small package) dry sugar-free favored gelatin (any favor/color)
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice (optional)
• 1 or 2 packets non-caloric sweetener or 2 to 3 teaspoons sugar (optional)
• 4 cups cut-up fruit (apple, orange, kiwi, banana)
• Optional garnish: Pomegranate seeds

 Instructions

1. For sauce, stir cornstarch and gelatin together in a small saucepan. Add water and stir to dissolve. Add the orange juice and, if desired, the lemon or lime juice.
2. Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to boil. Stir constantly to prevent sticking and burning.
3. Gently boil for 1 minute. Cool completely. Stir in sweetener or sugar, if desired.
4. Arrange fruit on plates and pour sauce on top. Or pour cooled sauce over cut-up fruit in a bowl and stir to coat.
5. Chill until ready to serve.

Because you can use almost any fruit, Waldorf Summer Salad is a great one to use with seasonal fruit. Right now, in Iowa, we have lots of luscious peaches, plums, cherries, berries and melons in the markets, so I probably wouldn’t make it with the apples and bananas shown in the picture.

Don’t make this salad too far ahead, but do let the kids help. If you need a few more servings, just add another fruit or two and a little more juice.

Waldorf Summer Salad

Ingredients

• 1 medium apple, diced*
• 1 banana, cut up
• ¼ cup raisins
• ¼ cup fruit juice (any kind)
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows
• Optional: ¼ cup coarsely chopped walnuts or peanuts

Instructions

1. Place apple, banana, and raisins in a bowl. Pour juice over and stir to coat.
2. Stir in marshmallows and, if desired, chopped nuts. Serve.
   *Invite your family to experiment with flavor combinations, such as pears, peaches, kiwi, canned pineapple, and other dried fruits.