How to Make a Fruit Salad

Here's the secret about fruit salad: it's easier than you think. No cooking involved, the pots and pans, and it is fast and easy to do. The simple rules are: 

• Use at least two different fruits, but three or more is better
• Use fruits with different colors
• Use fruits with different textures

Have different combinations of colors, sizes, shapes, and textures. Choose from these favorites and you are sure to have a great tasting fruit salad:

seedless grapes, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, cantaloupe, kiwi, pineapple, peaches, pear, nectarines, and banana.

Rinse all fruit and let air dry. When using grapes, cut them in half to make a prettier display. Usually one cantaloupe is enough for 4 people when mixed with a couple of other fruits. Be sure to seed melons before using. Melons can also be scooped with a melon baller. You may want to mix a couple different melons together like cantaloupe and watermelon.

Just Melons

If you are not using a melon baller, skin the melon by cutting it in half. Place the cut side down on your cutting board. Make 1/2 inch slices. For a fruit salad with just melons, this makes a pretty dish.

Skinning a pineapple

Cut off the top and bottom. This will make the pineapple stable on the cutting board. Next slice down the length of the melon to remove the skin. Continue working your way around the pineapple until all the skin and brown spots are removed. Next cut into 1/2 inch slices along the width. The center may be chewy, so it is best to cut that away and toss.

Cutting and using bananas

Peel and cut the bananas into bite sized pieces. Put the slices in a glass bowl and cover with 1/2 cup orange juice. This will keep them from turning brown.

Using kiwis

It is not necessary to remove the skin, but if you want to, cut off the top and bottom. Then slice lengthwise in small sections to remove the skin. Then cut across the width. Kiwis add a lovely color to any fruit salad, and they taste great.

Making fruit kabobs

Add bite-sized pieces of fruits to make a fruit kabob. Use fruits that are different colors and textures like kiwi, banana, strawberry, and pineapple.

Garnish

Adding a few leaves of fresh mint, yogurt, or ice cream will also enhance your fruit salad. And of course you can also add flavored liqueur.

2 ingredient fruit salad

This is one of my favorites. Slice bananas and strawberries. Add a little apple juice. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar (optional). Gently mix. Serve cold.

More Information http://www.startcooking.com Davee Kaplan is an expert author for EzineArticles, writes her own blog, microblogs on Twitter and Facebook, has written product critiques for Amazon, buyer/seller critiques for eBay, service critiques for ServiceMaster, and restaurant critiques for Yelp and Zagat. Davee loves to cook, write, make smoothies and juices, critique restaurants, indoor garden and dance.  http://www.EatAndDance.com was started to write about healthy eating from a dancer's perspective. Davee is a world champion Salsa dancer and has been dancing for over 20 years. Follow her through EatAndDance on Facebook and Twitter.