Grilled Mixed Fruit -- Topping for Vanilla Ice Cream

This is one of the recipes from Everyday Italian on Food Network. The grilled fruits give a nutty flavor and the fresh mint adds a freshness to this dish. Serve it with a good quality vanilla ice cream. Make sure the fruits are not too ripe or else they will turn soggy when you grill  'em. We used frozen blueberries instead of the fresh ones that were mentioned in the recipe. Still they tasted great! We made the sugar syrup slightly less sweet -- adjust the amount of sugar based on your preference.

Ingredients:

1 pint strawberries, hulled and halved
4 bananas, halved lengthwise
1/2 can of diced pineapple
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 (or less) cup sugar
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 cup water
1 scoop vanilla icecream

Method: Place a grill pan over medium-high heat. In a medium bowl, toss the fruit in the sugar to coat. Grill over medium heat, until a golden crust begins to form on the fruit, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. In another medium bowl, mix together the mint, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Arrange the fruit on a serving platter, drizzle the mint syrup over top, and serve.

Simple syrup: In a saucepan, combine water and sugar over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved. Take pan off heat and cool the syrup before using. Any extra cooled syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Place a scoop of vanilla icecream in a bowl. Drizzle some of this fruit mixture on the top.

Enjoy!

Courtesy: Everyday Italian