Fit Villains: Selfish, Shameless, Sassy, Fitness.

Mmmmm… doesn’t that look yummy?

Grilled fruit is a fancy way to keep BBQ time healthy, delicious & fun. They’re a versatile way to stand out and shake things up. Plus, you can serve them in desserts or as a side or as a part of a main course. The sky’s the limit!

Because grilling fruit is different than grilling veggies or grilling meat, here are a few tips that will help you keep it yummy, healthy & as easy as possible. PLUS 2 of my favorite grilled fruit recipes.

• Grilled Pineapple Chicken Kabobs
• Grilled Stuffed Peaches

Tips for grilling fruit…

1. Hard fruits are the easiest to grill since they hold their shape & texture (apples, pears, pineapple etc,). Soft fruits become soft & mushy if overcooked (I don’t think I have to warn you about how gross that will be to clean up). If you’re using soft fruit, use it when it’s not-quite-ripe, which will help those softer fruits keep their shape.
2. Split fruits in half when grilling (bananas lengthwise, apples down the middle). You can leave the peels on (helps keep the fruit together and you can remove it after). If the fruit is large (pineapple) grill it in slices.
3. Soak your fruit in cold water & lemon juice (a tbsp or so per cup of water) ahead of time. The water will help it stay juicy & the lemon juice will help it keep its color (some WILL turn brown otherwise). Soak 20-30 minutes in the fridge or add ice to the water.
4. Grill fruit on medium heat on a clean cooking grate. Fruit will absorb other flavors on the grill, so clean the surface well to avoid hamburger flavored pineapples and sausage flavored peaches.
5. Spray fruits or dust them in a light layer of cooking oil before grilling. Normally, I’d recommend olive oil, but it has a strong flavor. Try to find a cooking oil that’s less intense.
6. Add spices or increase soaking time to boost the flavor of your fruit. Cinnamon works well for apples. Mint for melon etc. Nutmeg, allspice, cloves, ginger - all good ideas. No added sugar needed: fruit’s naturally high in sugar & the heat will caramelize it and make it sweeter anyways. (Added sugar will also likely burn your fruit on the grill if you’re not careful).
7. You can marinate the fruit with alcohols (rum, wine, etc), but pay attention cause you can cause quite the FLARE UP on the grill. We like eyebrows. We really like eyebrows.
8. You don’t have to eat grilled fruit as is. You can grill pineapple, then put it in a sauce. You can grill your melons & cut them up for a fruit salad. You can grill your apples, then make grilled applesauce or stick them in a grilled apple pie. No limits!

So now that you’ve got the basics, give these recipes a try! (I didn’t add it here, but I’m also a big fan of grilled bananas, with a little dark chocolate drizzle for dessert).

Grilled Pineapple Chicken Kabobs

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. fresh, natural orange juice
• 1/4 c. club soda
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. honey or 1/2 tsp agave nectar
• 1 tbsp. Oriental sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 med. red onion, cut into chunks
• 1 green pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 ripe medium pineapple, peeled and cut into 1 inch squared chunks.
• 1 navel orange, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the orange juice, club soda, soy sauce, honey (agave), sesame oil and ginger. Stir in the chicken. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.

2. Prepare the grill or preheat the broiler.

3. On skewers, alternate pieces of onion, chicken, pepper, pineapple and folded orange slices. Grill or broil until chicken is lightly browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes on each side. Serves 4.

Grilled Stuffed Peaches

Ingredients

• 4 large peaches
• 1 cup frozen blueberries (or freeze fresh berries for an hour or two - unfrozen berries may cook too fast)
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup Greek yogurt

* Serves 4

Directions

Wash and halve peaches. Remove pit. Place peaches on aluminum foil so that you can fold up the foil and seal the peaches in. Spoon 2 tablespoons of berries into each peach half. Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons of agave syrup on each and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Fold up foil and seal. Place on hot grill and cook for 15-18 minutes Turn once. Remove from foil & top with 2 tablespoons of greek yogurt. Serve warm.

Enjoy!