Grilled Fruit Medley
Ingredients
½ cup unpasteurized honey
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp lemongrass, finely chopped
1 banana
12 strawberries, small
1 orange, seedless
2 peaches
½ pineapple
2 apples
Whisk together honey, vinegar and lemongrass till thoroughly mixed. Glaze can be may a day in advance and stored in an airtight container. Soak 6 skewers in water for 30 minutes. Make sure grill in clean; lightly spray grill with cooking spray and preheat to medium-high heat. Cut fruit into desired segments and position onto the skewers. Brush glaze over fruit, reserving some glaze for dipping. Place fruit skewers onto the frill. Rotate every 2 minutes per side till desired grill marks are achieved. Serve 1 skewer per plate; add a scoop of frozen yogurt, rice cream, or goat yogurt; top with walnuts or muesli and serve.
Adapted from Compliments; www.compliments.ca.
Nutritional Value of Select Ingredients
Honey – This is a natural sweetener that contains vitamins, minerals, and propolis. It is a great source of magnesium. A whole food, honey is an excellent replacement for brown or white cane sugar, which is detrimental to our health. Any sweetener, though, should be eaten in moderation, but when you do need to sweeten, try honey instead.
Apples – very high in fibre, help detoxify the body, stabilize blood sugar, and protect against the effects of radiation. They reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, asthma, and type 2 diabetes. They are high in many vitamins, minerals, and phytoestrogens.
Bananas – Bananas are good for the nerves, muscles, liver, and kidneys, and feed good bacteria in the colon. They can aid in sleep, lessening pain, and enhancing immune function. With the exception of avocados and dates, bananas are the fruit with the highest concentration of potassium.
Pineapple – Pineapple is an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese. It is also rich in the enzyme bromelain, which aids in digestion, is an anti-inflammatory, and an anti-cancer agent. It can greatly reduce the swelling of carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, and gout.
Peaches and Nectarines – These sisters are a good source of carotenes and flavonoids which are beneficial in preventing macular degeneration, heart disease, and cancer.
Strawberries – The flavonoids in these berries give them their power of protection against heart disease, inflammation, and cancer. They work as a COX inhibitor blocking pain like aspirin, but without the intestinal bleeding or heart disease that they may cause.
