Grilled Apples with Orange Mint Marinade

Before you close up your grill and start to bring out the fresh berries, ice cream and pies this July 4th, why not try grilling up some fruit? I’ve always had fun grilling up fresh fruits, such as bananas, pineapples and peaches. This year, I came across an amazing recipe that not only uses one of my favorite fruits, apples, it also gave me a chance to put some of my fresh grown mint to use. This recipe was very easy and only to about 6 minutes total on the grill. Be sure to leave a good 1-1.5 hours prior to grilling for the marinade to soak in. And don’t forgett the vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce for toppings!

GRILLED APPLES WITH MINT
(Courtesy of  COOKING LIGHT, October 2002) 

Ingredients:
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 Granny Smith apples, cored and each cut crosswise into 4 (1/2-inch) slices
Cooking spray

Directions:
Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add apple slices; seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 to 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Remove apple from bag, reserving marinade. Place apple slices on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side, turning and basting frequently with reserved marinade. Arrange apple slices on a platter; drizzle with any remaining marinade.