A Bag of Frozen Fruit: Delicious Recipes

My freezer is never without a large bag of frozen mixed fruits. This item is available at most grocers and depending upon the manufacturer, may include a variety of fruits such as peaches, grapes, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, melons, pineapple and mango.

Living in the state of Michigan, with frozen fruit I can enjoy my favorite fruits year round. Additionally, I don't have to worry about my fruit going bad. When preparing a dish, I simply grab the fruit that I need, reseal the bag and return it to the freezer.

Over the years frozen fruit has been incorporated in a number of my recipes and meals.

Fruity Oatmeal

Most mornings I begin my day with a warm bowl of oatmeal. Now plain oatmeal is just fine, but a fruity oatmeal is even better. To make my fruity oatmeal:

You'll Need:

1/3 cup of oats
1/3 cup of frozen fruit (strawberry, mango and peaches are ideal)
1/3 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of raisins
2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts or sliced almonds
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Optional for flavoring: cinnamon, ginger and/or nutmeg

Preparation:

1. Prepare oatmeal according to package directions.

2. Stir in frozen fruit, raisins, milk and vanilla extract.

3. Simmer stirring frequently to avoid sticking.

4. Serve with brown sugar and nuts as topping.

Serves 2-3 people.

Berry Pancakes

Frozen fruit has also helped in adding a little flair to my pancake breakfast. In addition to using the frozen fruit as a pancake topping (with sour cream or yogurt for taste), I also use the berries to make a fruity pancake.

You'll Need:

Your favorite pancake mix
1 cup of assorted berries (defrosted)
berry flavored syrup

Preparation:

1. Prepare pancake batter.

2. Gently fold 1/2 cup of berries into mix.

3. Cook pancakes in pan or on griddle.

4. Serve with berry syrup and a couple tablespoons of berries on top.

Optional toppings include powdered sugar, yogurt or whipped cream.

Yogurt Parfaits

A tasty dessert or morning treat, yogurt parfaits can be made quick and easily with frozen fruit. Almost any fruit will work in a parfait, however, berries, peaches, mango and pineapples are really delicious in this recipe.

You'll Need:

2 cups of vanilla or strawberry yogurt
1/3 cup of sweetened granola or Grape Nuts cereal
2 cups of fruit (defrosted)

Preparation:

1. Spoon ingredients in a juice or martini glass. Alternate between yogurt, fruit and granola (starting with yogurt) until full.

2. Top with a tablespoon of granola and a few slices of fruit.

Other ideas for using frozen fruit in recipes include fruit cobbler, smoothies or a fruit salsa.