Tastes Like Summer: Mojito Fruit Salad

This recipe had me at "mojito."

I tried my first mojito the night my (now) husband took me out on our first date.  It was love at first sight- lol well, between the mojitos and I at least.  :-) We had a fabulous evening that has turned into an even more fabulous 7 1/2 years and counting.

I LOVE mojitos.  Not quite as much as I love my husband, but they are definitely one of my favorite grown-up drinks.

 I almost never drink them since I don't exactly keep a stocked liquor cabinet and I rarely think to grab the makings for an adult beverage other than wine anymore- not to mention that nights out sans kids like our first date are few and far between these days!

Nevertheless, I really enjoy a good mojito.  There's just something about that crisp, refreshing flavor of lime and mint.  In fact, Margitos are pretty freaking outstanding too- you should totally check out the recipe when you get the chance if you're into fabulously tasty drinks.  They're a lovely drink for a warm evening outside!

Anyway, back to the salad.  :-)

So when I was a kid my mom made fruit salad as a side for dinner fairly often.  She would just mix up whatever fruit we had with a container of yogurt.  That's a great way to make a healthy, creamy fruit salad in a hurry but I wanted to make something a little different and maybe a little lighter the other night.  When I was perusing recipes I came across this one for Mojito Fruit Salad and I knew it had to be made.  I also had a pretty strong feeling it was going to be awesome.

I was right.

Much like the fruit salad my mom used to make, you can play around with the fruit you use to suit what you have on hand- though I wouldn't recommend bananas.  That's the one fruit I really can't see working in this dish.  I decided to go with grapes, kiwi, cantaloupe, strawberries, and blackberries.  I think next time I'm going to add in watermelon and maybe some peaches or nectarines.  YUM.  

I went ahead and included the original recipe below, but feel free to mix up that fruit combination!  The secret's in the sauce- er in the dressing- with this salad!

The dressing is pretty much a virgin mojito- sugar, mint, and lime juice.  It couldn't be more simple and I plan on making this over and over again this summer!

Mojito Fruit Salad

From Allrecipes.com

1 C cubed seeded watermelon

1 C seedless grapes 

1 C cubed cantaloupe

1 C hulled and quartered strawberries

1 C peeled and quartered kiwi

1 C fresh blueberries

3 sprigs fresh mint (or to taste, I used more)

2 tsp white sugar

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1. Mix the watermelon, grapes, cantaloupe, strawberries, and kiwi in a bowl with a tight-fitting lid; top with the blueberries.

2. Stir the mint, sugar, and lime juice together in a bowl, crushing the mint with the back of a spoon while mixing to extract flavors; pour over the fruit mixture. Seal the bowl with lid and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

3. Just before serving, gently flip the sealed bowl several times to coat the fruit with the dressing