Prunes Stuffed with Almonds

Prunes are dried plums, and fruits and nuts are a great combination.

In this recipe, I stuff each pitted prune with a whole roasted almond. The tender, sweet prune and the crisp almond combine in a delightful contrast of flavors and textures, especially if you pop the whole thing in your mouth at once.

This recipe does not list quantities, so you can make as many or as few as you need for any occasion. Just use one whole almond for each pitted prune.

RECIPE:

Pitted prunes (dried plums)
Roasted whole almonds

Cut each prune lengthwise along one side to "butterfly ".

Stuff each prune with a whole almond, and then lightly press to partially close the prune.

Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use. For best flavor, serve at room temperature.

Strawberry-Apricot Fruit Salad with Mimosa Dressing

This recipe came about by accident. At a weekend brunch, I was eating some fresh sliced strawberries and apricots and drinking a Mimosa. I dipped the fruit into the Mimosa and this recipe idea was born. I realized that a Mimosa would make a fine dressing for a spring fruit salad.

Upon further experimentation, I discovered that marinating the fruit in the orange juice for a while before adding the champagne infuses the fruit with a bit of the orange flavor, which was nice.

This is an adult fruit salad, because of the champagne. There is also no added sweetener, allowing the natural sweetness and slight tartness of the fruit to shine through. However, you can add a bit of sugar or honey if you wish.

RECIPE:

1 pound fresh strawberries, sliced
4 or 5 fresh apricots, pitted and sliced
1 or 2 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced (optional)
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup champagne or sparkling white wine

Combine the cut-up strawberries and apricots in a large bowl, along with the kiwi, if using.

Pour the orange juice over the fruit, and toss gently. Refrigerate for at least one hour, tossing occasionally.

Just before serving, pour the champagne over the fruit mixture. Toss gently and serve.

-- 4 servings

Dates Stuffed with Almonds

These little bites are easy to make and healthy, but decadently delicious. They're festive enough to serve at your holiday parties and brunches, but simple and inexpensive enough to enjoy anytime!

Quantities are not included in the recipe below. Just use one whole almond per each date to make as many or as few as you need.

RECIPE:

Pitted dates
Roasted whole almonds

Cut each date lengthwise along one side to "butterfly ".

Stuff each date with a whole almond, and then lightly press to partially close the date.

Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use. For best flavor, serve at room temperature.

Dates Stuffed with Gorgonzola Dolce and Walnuts

I got the idea for this recipe from my local Whole Foods Market, where they were on display in the cheese section. In their version, the nuts were finely ground. I prefer to coarsely chop or break the walnuts into pieces, for a chunkier, crunchier texture.

Quantities are not included for this recipe, as it's easy to vary the amounts to make as few or as many as needed. As a general rule of thumb, use 3-4 ounces of cheese per 8-ounce package of dates.

RECIPE:

Shelled walnuts, coarsely chopped or broken
Pitted dates
Gorgonzola dolce (dolcelatte) cheese

Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over low to medium-low heat for few minutes until lightly golden. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cut each date lengthwise along one side to "butterfly ".

Stuff each date with some of the gorgonzola, and then top each with a few of the walnut pieces. Gently press each stuffed date partially closed while still exposing some of the cheese and nuts.

Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use. For best flavor, serve at room temperature.

Grand Marnier Strawberry Sundaes in Puff Pastry Shells

For this recipe, our Grand Marnier Strawberries are used to top vanilla ice cream or plain Greek yogurt in freshly baked puff pastry shells.

Optional toasted almond slices add a bit of crunch.

RECIPE:

2 tablespoons sliced almonds (optional)
4 frozen puff pastry shells
4 scoops vanilla ice cream or plain Greek yogurt
1 recipe of Grand Marnier Strawberries, warm

If using almonds, toast the almond slices in a dry skillet over low to medium-low heat for few minutes until lightly golden. Remove from heat and set aside.

Bake the puff pastry shells according to the package directions.

Place 1 scoop of ice cream or yogurt in each puff pastry shell.

Spoon the strawberries over and around the sundaes.

Top with the toasted almonds, if using.

-- 4 servings

Dates Stuffed with Cream Cheese and Almonds

For this healthy snack, I started with our recipe for Dates Stuffed with Cream Cheese and simply added some lightly toasted almond slices or slivers.

Quantities are not included, as it's easy to vary the amounts to make as few or as many as needed. As a general rule of thumb, use 3-4 ounces of Neufchatel or cream cheese per 8-ounce package of dates.

RECIPE:

Raw sliced or slivered almonds
Pitted dates
Neufchatel or cream cheese

Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over low to medium-low heat for few minutes until lightly golden. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cut each date lengthwise along one side to "butterfly ".

Stuff each date with some of the cheese, and then top each with a few of the almond pieces. Gently press each stuffed date partially closed while still exposing some of the cheese and nuts.

Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use. For best flavor, serve at room temperature.

Grand Marnier Strawberries

In this recipe, strawberries are spiked with Grand Marnier, which adds a rich orange flavor with the smooth kick of a good liqueur.

When fresh strawberries are not in season, I use frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed per the package instructions. Often the frozen strawberries are tastier than the fresh ones, because they are frozen immediately after picking. And they can be enjoyed all year long.

They're great served alone, warm or cold, as a light dessert or snack. I also like to serve them warm over ice cream, yogurt, or plain pound cake. They're also nice for breakfast/brunch, either alone or as a topping for French toast or pancakes. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint, if desired.

RECIPE:

2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
3 cups sliced fresh or frozen strawberries (thawed if frozen)

In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, sugar, and Grand Marnier. Stir to blend.

Transfer the lemon juice mixture to a medium saucepan. Over medium-high heat, bring the liquid almost to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the strawberries to saucepan, and stir to coat all the berries with the liquid. Simmer over low heat for 3-5 minutes.

-- 4 servings

Dates Stuffed with Cream Cheese

I think of dates as "nature's candy". Stuffing them with Neufchatel or cream cheese creates an easy, healthy, and delicious dessert, appetizer, or snack.

RECIPE:

1 8-ounce package pitted dates
3-4 ounces Neufchatel or cream cheese

Cut each date lengthwise along one side to "butterfly ".

Divide the cheese into enough equal-size portions to match the number of dates.

Stuff each date with a portion of the cheese, gently pressing each stuffed date partially closed while still exposing some of the cheese stuffing.

Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use. For best flavor, serve at room temperature.

-- 6-10 appetizer, snack, or light dessert servings

Peaches in Wine

Peaches and wine are a delightful combination. This is an easy and refreshing dessert or snack for a hot summer day - or anytime!

Use a toothpick or a cocktail fork to pull the peach slices out of the wine for eating. Or just use your fingers.

Use whatever kind of wine you like - dry or sweet. It's all good!

RECIPE:

2 ripe peaches
4 small glasses of red or white wine, half full

Cut each peach into 8 slices.

Gently place 3 peach slices into each of the 4 glasses of wine.

Garnish with the remaining peach slices.

-- 4 servings

Greek Yogurt with Honey and Walnuts

This easy recipe needs only three ingredients, but is elegant and delicious. The smooth tang of the yogurt contrasts beautifully with the sticky sweetness of the honey and the earthy crunch of the walnuts.

This healthy and nutritious dish is equally great for breakfast, dessert, or a snack.

RECIPE:

1/4 cup shelled walnut halves or pieces
1/4 cup honey
2 cups plain Greek-style yogurt

In a small skillet, saute the walnuts over medium heat for a few minutes until lightly toasted. Do not let the walnuts burn.

Transfer the walnuts to a small bowl and add the honey, stirring to combine.

Spoon 1/2 cup yogurt onto each of 4 dessert plates.

Sprinkle the honey-walnut mixture evenly over each serving of yogurt.

-- 4 servings