Marinated Fruit With Coconut Dressing

Bird created this very simple and beautiful recipe with great flavor that you can be made several hours before serving. You can opt to grill the fruit on skewers for k-bobs or just mix and serve in a decorative bowl. For the dip, I simply added shredded coconut to my sister's wonderful Kathy's Fruit Dip, creating a 'family' recipe. :)

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Serves: 20

Ingredients

• fruit

• 1  pink lady apple, cut into 20 bite size pieces
• 1  pear, cut into 20 bite size pieces
• 2  bananas, firm, cut into 20 slices
• 1  tablespoon lemon juice
• 20  fresh pineapple chunks (about 1/2 of a pineapple)
• 20  seedless grapes
• 20  fresh strawberries, tops removed

• Marinade

• 1⁄4 cup sugar (or Splenda)
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 1⁄4 cup lemon juice
• 1⁄4 cup  orange juice

• Dressing

• 8  ounces  neufchatel cheese, softened (or cream cheese)
• 16  ounces vanilla yogurt (or lemon or strawberry)
• 1⁄2 cup reduced-sugar orange marmalade
• 1⁄2 cup flaked coconut
• 2  teaspoons  grated lemon peel
• 1  teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

1. FRUIT: Place fruit gently into a large bowl or ziploc bag.
2. MARINADE: Mix all ingredients well and pour gently over fruit. Cover or seal bag and refrigerate for 1-3 hours.
3. DRESSING: In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in remaining dressing ingredients and mix well. Cover and chill 1-3 hours.
4. AS A FRUIT SALAD: Drain fruit from marinade (discard marinade). Mix fruit together with dressing and serve immidiately.
5. AS KABOBS; Drain fruit from marinade (discard marinade). Using 20 wooden skewers, alternately arrange fruit onto skewers. Place on grill and heat for just a few minutes, turning one halfway through. Serve with dressing on the side or brush with dip the last minute of grilling.