Chef Wendell: Sweet and savory fruit salad

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – If you consider Fruit Loops your daily dose of fruits, then you’re on the slippery slope of convenience addiction and your family’s health may be paying the price.  Americans are either embarrassingly addicted to convenience or too busy with life to lift a knife. If you think you can’t slow down long enough to prepare fresh fruit salad, please think again. It’s not difficult at all, plus it can be good family fun to assemble and share.

You’ve certainly seen and probably purchased convenient little opaque cups, tin cans, or glass jars of pre-made fruit salad lining grocery shelves assuming they’re healthy. American’s are unknowingly buying sugar and high fructose corn syrup-laden fruit salad that was harvested, hopefully washed, peeled, chopped, mechanically packaged and shipped from, yep, either China, Mexico, Thailand or the Philippines. These distant countries have vastly dissimilar interpretations of sanitation and responsible agrichemical usage. Plus, this stuff is weeks, maybe months old, hence nutritionally DOA.

Next time you shop for the family, please think to pick up a cup, can, or jar to see where it was packaged. Read the label closely. What’s the expiration date?

You deserve so much better, my Hoosier friends. With this fun recipe, you can quickly learn how simple it is to prepare fresh, nutritious, sun blessed fruit salad at home with the family. Fresh is infinitely best for glowing family health.Sweet and Spicy Fruit Salad with a twist

½ avocado cut into cubes-

2 ripe juicy mangos cut into cubes

½ cup fresh strawberries cut into small pieces

1 pablano pepper, washed, seeded and cut into cubes

1 cup cilantro leaves

1 Bermuda onion, cut into cubes

Juice of one (1) lime

2 tsp. Siracha or garlic chili paste

Wooden spoon to mix

• Before working with the fruit, please wash it thoroughly in tepid water to remove field and critter residue and agrichemicals.

• Do your best to cut everything approximately the same size.

• Peel the mango and avocado and cut into cubes. Put them into a mixing bowl.

• Next, add the pepper, strawberries, onion and cilantro. Don’t mix yet.

• Meanwhile, whisk the lime and hot sauce in a little bowl and still well.

• Add the savory sauce and with a wooden spoon MIX ONCE. You can easily destroy the presentation my mushing up the avocado. Be gentle.

• Chill for at least one hour.

Serving suggestions:

• A dip for corn chips.

• To dress up a burrito, taco or nachos.

• Grilled fish or chicken topping.

• As a dessert topped with coconut milk.