Fresh fruit salsa

It's the middle of summer. Nothing is better on a hot day than something nice, refreshing and cool. I'm not talking about ice cream, frozen yogurt or even beer. One of my favourite summer snacks is healthy, delicious and fun, and it's a real crowd-pleaser! It makes for a great dessert if you want to serve it at the end of a meal, too. What is it? Fresh fruit salsa and brown sugar pita chips.

Here's my take on how to make it. First, pick up some of your fav fresh fruits and berries. I'm usually sure to include lots of strawberries and some kiwi; they're not too sweet, and are a good base to layer other fruits with. The last time I made this, I chose strawberry, kiwi, pineapple, and honeydew melon. The amount you make is really dependent upon the amount of people you're serving. If you want to add a spicy kick to your fruit salsa, pick up a habanero pepper.

When you have your fruit, it's time to start chopping! Chop each fruit into fine pieces, adding to a bowl as you go. This is the most time consuming part! Once all the fruit is finely chopped and added to the bowl, mix it well together, cover and refrigerate.

Next? On to the pita chips. This is my favourite part. For this, you'll need whole wheat pita shells, extra virgin olive oil and brown sugar. Again, the amount you make is dependent upon the number of people you're serving. One pita shell will yield 16 chips. Start by pre-heating your oven to 350 C. First, cut the pita shell into 1/8s and then separate the top and bottom pieces of each one. Lay them on a baking sheet with the smooth side down and rough side facing you. Next, add some extra virgin olive oil to a small bowl and grab a cooking brush. Lightly paint each chip with some extra virgin olive oil. Then sprinkle some brown sugar over each chip. I've added my brown sugar to a spice shaker, which makes this an easy and even process. When everything's ready to go, put the baking sheet in the oven for 5-7 minutes, or until chips are crisp. Be sure to keep an eye on them, because they can go from crispy to overdone in a matter of seconds!

When the chips are nice and crisp, remove the sheet from the oven. Serve salsa in a small dish with 8 to 10 warm brown sugar pita chips on the side! If you give this recipe a try or if you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! x