Strawberry Skewers

I decided to celebrate my Labor Day by sleeping until noon, tackling an endless pile of laundry and making reservations at an awesome NYC restaurant that I can't normally get into when beach weekenders and hamptonites are back in town.  But that is not what most people did to celebrate their holiday.  Most people's holiday was marked with BBQs and parties.  This got me thinking about the typical foods that people tend to bring to a summer party- dips, veggie platters, pasta salads, hot dogs, hamburgers and my favorite- the fruit salad.  I love the fruit salad because it is someone's helpless attempt at making sure there is something "healthy" to make the spread of mayonnaise and meat based selections less offensive.  And without fail, there is always at least one person who chooses the fruit salad over all the other desserts to try and negate the fact that they spent the entire day eating crap and drinking.  Now, I'm not saying that fruit bowls don't have a place at summer BBQs.  I'm saying that I think people should put a little more thought and creativity into the healthy options to make it just as appealing as Aunt Sue's homemade brownies topped with fudge and M&Ms.

So, I give you Strawberry Skewers!  This fruit dish is sure to wow at any party- summer or not.  It's flavorful, fun to eat, easy to make and hits the healthy spot on the nose. 

Strawberry Skewers

Modify based on size of party

1 pint of fresh strawberries- tops removed, halved

1 Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

1 lemon- 2 tablespoons of juice, 1 slice for garnish and zest for finish

1 container of Mascarpone cheese

2 Tablespoons of honey

Black Pepper

Toothpicks

Wash and cut the strawberries in half.  Preserve the tops for the skewers.  Marinate the strawberries in 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.  Combine the mascarpone cheese, lemon juice and honey.  Whip to create a dip texture.  Place in a bowl with a lemon slice garnish and keep it cool while you make the skewers.  You can use toothpicks for small bite skewers or large griller skewers.  Place the tops of the strawberries on the skewer as a garnish.  Put strawberries onto the skewers and arrange on a plate.  Do not stack the skewers.  Ground black pepper to  lightly sprinkle over the strawberries.  Finish by adding a sprinkling of lemon zest.  Serve with the mascarpone dip and enjoy :)

What makes this bite better?

Let's be honest- most people skip the fruit bowl because they find it boring.  Why have a melon when you can have cake?!  But if you can have fruit in a form that is just as yummy and appealing as a cupcake, you're more likely to choose it, enjoy it and skip the other sweets. No one likes dessert guilt.  Be the one who brings the guilt free dessert to the party- you'll be a hit!