Jalapenos add a little kick to the salsa that tops this recipe for orange chicken with fruit salsa. ANDREW DAVIS TUCKER/STAFF

Today's salsa is more than pureed tomatoes, onions and jalapenos. Anything goes in salsa making now, and this week I'm illustrating this point in my recipe for orange chicken with fruit salsa.

I've seen recipes for fruit salsa that are simply a mixture of chopped berries seasoned with cinnamon and sugar, served as a dip for buttered and toasted flour tortillas. That's stretching the definition of salsa in my mind. To me, salsa has to have a kick.

This week's recipe is a simple marinated chicken with a delicious salsa topping that combines canned mandarin oranges, diced pineapple and kiwi, jalapeno peppers, chopped red onion and fresh basil. The salsa gets a hint of sweetness from honey and a bit of tang from fresh lime juice.

Be sure to use fresh lime juice, rather than the kind you squeeze from a plastic lime, which is quite bitter. Get the most juice from your lime by placing it in the microwave for 20 seconds, then rolling it on the counter beneath the palm of your hand to break up the fibers.

Many great kitchen gadgets are available to help you juice lemons and limes, but you also can go the low-tech route and squeeze the lime halves over a bowl using your hands. A salad fork, inserted in the cut half and twisted, also works well.

The chicken marinade of orange soda, soy sauce, minced garlic and ground ginger highlights the fruity flavor of the salsa. The soda makes the chicken very tender while giving the meat a bit of an orange glow. With or without the salsa, the chicken is quite tasty, and it's guaranteed to be a hit with the kids.

The recipe is pure fusion food, a popular trend over the past decade through which dishes get cross-cultural accents. Here the Mexican-inspired salsa is paired with an Asian-inspired marinade. Some chefs will tell you they think the trend has been overdone, but the combination works well here.

The basil in the salsa is my replacement for cilantro, an herb that most either love or hate. Someone once wrote that cilantro tastes like soap to some people, while others love it. I'm one of the soap set. If you're a cilantro fan, use it in place of the fresh chopped basil.

In fact, use this recipe as a base to come up with your own fruit salsa. Replace the mandarin oranges with peeled, diced peaches during the summer months, when the fruit is abundant. The combinations for this salsa can be endless. Melons of all varieties, especially watermelon, pair well with the spicy onions and peppers and the sweet-tart dressing. Grapes and strawberries also are excellent choices.

Top grilled chicken or fish with your version of fruit salsa, or serve with tortilla chips for an appetizer. And pair today's recipe with your favorite packaged rice mix for a great meal.

Orange Chicken with Fruit Salsa

1 cup orange soda

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 tablespoon honey

1 lime, juiced

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 11-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained

1 11-ounce can pineapple tidbits or crushed pineapple, drained

1 kiwi, peeled and diced

1 small red onion, peeled and diced

1 medium jalapeno, finely chopped

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Calories: 310

Fat: 2.7g

Saturated Fat: 0.8g

Protein: 42.4g

Fiber: 1.5g

Carbohydrates: 27.1g

Sodium: 882mg

Cholesterol: 116mg

Combine orange soda, soy sauce, minced garlic and ginger in a zip-top plastic bag. Squeeze to combine, then add the chicken breasts. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Combine the honey, lime juice and minced garlic in a medium bowl. Add the oranges, pineapple, kiwi, onion, jalapeno and basil and toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Heat a charcoal or gas grill. Remove chicken breasts from marinade and grill 7 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. Serve the chicken immediately, topped with the fruit salsa.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrient analysis provided by registered dietitians of the Augusta District Dietetic Association. Send questions via e-mail to augustadietitian@yahoo.com.

Karin Calloway is the online chef for Viking Range Corp. (www.vikingrange.com) and a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. You can write her in care of The Augusta Chronicle Newsroom, P.O. Box 1928, Augusta, GA 30903. Or send e-mail to karin.calloway@home.com.