Fruit Salad, My Way...

Christmas Eve is always celebrated with Noche Buena, or midnight feast.  Our usual spread often includes lechon, noodles (spaghetti or Chinese noodles), ham, queso de bola, arroz caldo, barbecue, fruit salad, and hot chocolate.

This year we had the usual lechon, aligue rice (in lieu of arroz caldo) and fruit salad... but while the usual Filipino-style fruit salad is made with canned fruits, fresh buko (coconut), cream and condensed milk, I always skip the condensed milk and buko.  Then I add fresh apple chunks (simply because apples are traditionally a part of the Christmas season!)  This year, I added something else - strawberries to the cream!

The recipe -

1 large can Del Monte fruit cocktail (the one with pears and peaches)
1 large can tropical fruit cocktail (with papaya chunks)
1 small bottle green kaong
1 small bottle nata de coco
1 large Fuji apple, skin peeled and sliced into chunks
2 to 3 tetra packs of all purpose cream, well chilled
canned strawberries (about 10 pieces or so)

Drain the fruit cocktail, kaong and nata de coco at least overnight, in the refrigerator.

Drain (separately) the strawberries, mash lightly.  Whip the cream a few seconds (only) and add the strawberries.

Toss drained fruits, kaong, nata de coco and apple chunks.  Add the strawberry cream and toss well to coat.

Chill thoroughly before enjoying.

Merry Christmas everyone!