Vanilla Fruit Salad

With the holiday weekend coming I decided to do something easy yet delicious. This recipe is a new twist on the old idea of a fruit salad. The unique apple-vanilla syrup adds an amazing flavor that is unexpected. I know that with the weather heating up you don't want to use the oven or spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing something for your guests and this is the perfect solution! 

As for me this weekend it will be low-key with hopefully some new recipes for my friends. I just got off a 5 hour bus ride to New York and tomorrow I am going to what I have heard is an amazing vegetarian restaurant called Counter. I have looked at their menu online and it looks amazing! I will let you all know how it goes. What are you doing for the long weekend? 

Ingredients:

serves 6

For the Vanilla-Apple Syrup:
2 cups apple juice
2 2-inch strips lemon zest
1/4 vanilla bean

For the Fruit Salad:
2 medium mangoes, peeled and diced
1 pint strawberries, quartered (about 2 cups)
1 pint blueberries (about 2 cups)

Directions:

• To make Vanilla-Apple Syrup: Place apple juice and lemon zest in pot. Slice vanilla bean in half and scrape seeds into juice. Add bean to pot as well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium-low, and simmer 30 minutes, or until mixture is syrup-like and reduced to 1/3 cup. 
• Remove lemon zest and vanilla bean, and cool to room temperature.
• To make Fruit Salad: Toss mangoes, strawberries and blueberries with Vanilla-Apple Syrup, and serve.

Nutritional Information
Per Serving: Calories 129, Protein 1g, Total fat 5g, Carbs 32g, Sodium 4mg, Fiber 3g, Sugars 18g