Fruit and Yogurt Salad

Lunch Salad Recipe
I saw this lovely recipe in the May 2008 Vegetarian Times Magazine for a fruit and yogurt salad and decided it would be a great lunch. The recipe calls for a mint simple syrup. While this sounded delicious, I didn't really have the time or desire to make it. I thought the unadorned sweetness of the fruit with the vanilla yogurt would be nice. And it was. I especially liked the flavor of the pineapple with the yogurt. It reminded me of the taste of those fruit salads made with marshmallows, whipped cream and mayo, but healthier!
I also changed some of the fruit, choosing strawberries and raspberries and a D'anjou pear for it's green color. I think cubes of cantalope might also be a nice substitute.

Using Flaxseeds
Ground flaxseeds are a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids. I haven't found any great way to grind them. I bought a spice mill but the seeds are so small that most of them fall through whole. A mortar and pestle works but definitely takes a bit of muscle and time. For this recipe I crushed the seeds a bit in the mortar but mainly sprinkled them on whole.
A dusting of cinnamon would also be good if you are like me and love cinnamon.
I'm thinking I might try and make a simple syrup using some of the mint tea I have. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Fruit and Yogurt Lunch Salad (4 servings)

1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, cubed
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1 medium D'Anjou pear, cubed
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1 (6 oz.) container fat-free vanilla yogurt
2 tsp. ground flax seeds
ground cinnamon

Combine the fruit together in a large bowl. Divide the fruit among 4 small bowls. Top with a dollop of yogurt. Sprinkle with flax seeds and cinnamon.
Enjoy:)