Tropical Fruit in Spiced Syrup

This versatile fruit salsa takes inspiration from the warm, spicy flavors of Indian chai. Serve with grilled chicken or seafood, mixed into organic plain lowfat yogurt, or simply on its own.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

• ¾ cup water
• ¼ cup honey
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 whole cardamom pod
• 1 organic mango, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
• 1 organic kiwi, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
• 1 medium organic Asian pear, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice (see INGREDIENT NOTE)
• 1 organic lime, peeled and cut into segments (see TIP)
• ¼ cup dried organic cherries
• 2 strips organic orange zest (½-by-2-inch), cut into thin slivers (seeTIP)
• 2 Tablespoon minced fresh mint leaves (optional)

Directions

1. Combine water, honey, cloves, cinnamon stick and cardamom in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly reduced and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
2. Pour syrup through a fine sieve into a bowl. Discard spices. Add mango, kiwi, pear, lime segments, dried cherries and orange zest. Stir gently to combine.
3. Just before serving, add mint, if desired. Serve the fruit warm, at room temperature or chilled.

INGREDIENT NOTE: Asian pears are shaped more like an apple than a pear, have golden yellow-green skin and retain their crisp texture even when ripe. Look for them in the specialty-fruit section of the supermarket. .

TIP: To segment a citrus fruit: Using a sharp knife, cut off the peel and white pith from the lime. To make attractive segments, hold the lime over a bowl (to catch the juice) and slice between each segment and its surrounding membranes. Use a vegetable peeler to easily remove strips of the outer skin (zest), leaving the bitter white pith behind.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Facts

Per 1/2-cup serving: 78 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 2 g fiber; 2 mg sodium; 104 mg potassium. 1 Carbohydrate Serving.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (30% daily value).