Fruit & Seafood Meals

Quick-cooking scallops make an easy dinner. Sear fresh scallops in a hot skillet and serve the cooked shellfish with a refreshing fruit salad on top to give the dish a tangy punch of flavor. Combine your family's favorite fruits, such as diced mango and blueberries, chopped fresh peaches and grapes or oranges and grapefruit. Scallops pair well with citrus, so make a citrus-infused sauce for seared scallops by simmering orange juice, sugar and a few pats of butter in a skillet until hot and thickened to a glaze.

Fresh shrimp cook in no time on a hot grill. Throw some fresh fruit into the mix for a special treat with minimal extra effort. Grill the fruit along with the shrimp. Thread fresh cubed mango or pineapple on skewers along with fresh shrimp, alternating between fruit and seafood as you go. Brush the skewers with olive oil and grill them on a hot grill until the shrimp turn opaque. Serve the skewers warm. Your kids may get a kick out of pulling the shrimp and fruit off the skewers with their teeth.

Make a simple and quick fruity ceviche using precooked seafood. Toss precooked or steamed shrimp or lobster in a bowl with a combination of chilled mango and lime juices and chopped orange segments. If you have a little more time, make fresh ceviche by combining fresh seafood or cubes of firm fish with lime juice and fresh herbs. Refrigerate the mixture until the acid in the lime juice "cooks" the fish. Substitute dried dill dip mix seasoning for the fresh herbs for a less-traditional flavor.

A quick and easy fruit salsa makes a great topping for any seafood meal, from grilled or baked fish fillets to steamed shellfish. Toss together chopped fruits with diced onions, a squeeze of lemon juice, fresh mint and green onions. If your kids are up for spicy foods, add a diced chili pepper. Chill the salsa sit in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it alongside a warm piece of just-cooked fish.