There’s nothing quite like biting into a piece of juicy fruit on a warm day – but even better is sharing the sweetness with loved ones.
Fruit is the perfect dessert for any occasion, especially now that picnics, dinner parties and other outdoor events are beginning to ramp up. Because it packs such a satisfying punch as a dessert on its own, there’s no need to overcomplicate it – in fact, all Oldways heritage diets promote eating fruit as dessert. However, if you’re looking to wow a crowd with something a little more elevated, a good rule of thumb when looking to keep desserts nutritious is, instead of restricting, to think about adding. Specifically, for those special days when more decadence is called for, Oldways Vice President of Nutrition Programming Kelly LeBlanc’s advice is to keep some sugar and to also think about adding nutrition to the dessert.
Fruit is the perfect way to do just that! Whether you decide to blend up a quick sorbet or stuff strawberries with a tangy blue cheese mixture, fruit shines as the main character in these eight delicious, crowd-pleasing desserts:
African Heritage Mango and Papaya After-Chop: African heritage desserts have traditionally been based on fresh fruit. A common dessert in West Africa, the “after-chop” is a fresh fruit salad with coconut, peanuts and honey mixed together and loaded with flavor and nutrition, so you can feel good about serving your loved ones this sweet treat.
Easy Peach Crisp: If peaches aren’t in season in your region, it is just as easy to make this simple crisp with apples, berries, or any other fresh fruit that’s available. For an even easier shortcut, you can use granola in place of the oat-olive oil-sugar mixture – and don’t forget to top with Greek yogurt, if you want that extra late-spring freshness.
Fruit Salad Dressing with Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Olive oil in a green salad is a must, but how often have you thought of mixing fruit with olive oil? This dish is remarkably versatile, able to take any variety of fruit you have on hand to the next level while being beautiful, satisfying and nutritious.
Passionfruit and Guava Sorbet: Don’t shy away from combining fruit and spices. This dessert is especially refreshing and delicious on warmer days, and nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon add a lovely depth of flavor.
Whole Grain Berry Cake: This light and airy whole grain cake is layered with creamy Greek yogurt and mixed raspberries and blackberries, for a delicious alternative to classic strawberry shortcake.
Fruit and Ricotta Crostini: Who says sweets have to come after a meal? Now that farmer’s markets have largely begun for the season, get creative with various fresh fruits in this simple and delicious appetizer.
Blue Cheese and Pistachio-Stuffed Strawberries: This dish is the perfect marriage between sweet and savory, able to be adjusted to lean more towards a dessert or an appetizer, depending on your tastes. Acid from the berries and balsamic vinegar is cut beautifully by the creamy blue cheese.
Lemon Cake with Extra Virgin Olive Oil: This cake is packed with citrus: the zest and juice of two lemons go into the batter, extra lemon zest is used to make the frosting, and glazed lemon slices are an optional, impressive garnish on top. The recipe calls for extra virgin olive oil in place of butter, adding another Mediterranean flavor and lots of healthy fats to the mix.
So, if you’re looking to bring dessert to a dinner party while sticking to heritage diet principles, you can’t go wrong with fruit. Try these recipes and more, and enjoy sharing them with friends and family to truly live the way we have for generations: eating, laughing and talking – together.
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