Fruit Salsa

Fruits have that natural tanginess that is very suitable for making salsas. Some fruits are perfect partners of vegetables in salsas. One example of the perfect fruit is the pineapple.

The Pineapple salsa is ideal to serve over chicken, fish or pork, simply as a side dish. To make this salsa, the following are needed:

* 1 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple
* 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
* 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
* 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
* 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
* 1/4 cup chopped onions
* 2 green chili peppers, chopped
* 1/4 cup orange juice
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* salt and pepper to taste

The directions are simple: In a large bowl, toss together pineapple, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, corn, black beans, onions, green chili peppers, orange juice, and cilantro. Season the mixture with cumin, salt, and pepper. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Mango salsa is another fruit salsa variation and is a common favorite. This is a very simple recipe with few ingredients yet the flavors are bursting in the mouth. The sweet yet spicy flavor makes it best served with chicken, pork or even just tortilla chips. This recipe has so much color that to make this fare even more exciting, pair it with a mix of red, yellow and blue tortilla chips.

This recipe will need:

* 2 ripe mangoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
* 1 (8-ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained
* 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
* 2 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
* 1/2 cup chopped red onion
* 1/4 cup rice vinegar
* 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

Simply combine the mangoes, pineapple, cilantro, ginger, red onions, vinegar and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Stir lightly to mix the ingredients together. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

This last fruit salsa recipe, Fruit salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla chips, may be considered the free style of all salsas. This just offers a template of a good fruit salsa but one is free to adjust the recipe according to personal preference. Be creative! It must be noted however that fruit salsas such as this one must be consumed right away as fresh fruits do not keep well in the refrigerator for an extended period.

Needed for this recipe are:

* 1 Fuji apple, peeled, cored and diced
* 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
* 2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
* 2 bananas, peeled and sliced
* 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
* 2 tablespoons white sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 cup oil for frying
* 6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
* 3 tablespoons white sugar
* 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

In a medium bowl, mix together Fuji apple, strawberries, kiwis, bananas, lime juice, white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for approximately 20 minutes. While the salsa chills in the refrigerator, heat oil in a medium heavy saucepan to 375 degrees F or 190 degrees C. Slice flour tortillas into triangles. Carefully place tortilla triangles into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Place white sugar and cinnamon in a large zipper plastic bag. Drop fried tortilla triangles into the bag and shake to coat. Serve the cinnamon chips warm with the chilled fruit salsa.

If baked cinnamon chips are preferred, it can easily be done as well. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F or 175 degrees C. Arrange the tortilla triangles in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, watching the tortillas closely to avoid burning.