In My Lunchbox: Episode Four

I've been a little disorganised lately and a bit tired, so lunch has been made on a whim.  For the past couple of days before work, I've just whipped up a simple fruit salad made with in season fruit.  The tangelo comes from my mother's tree.  She is always trying to push either grapefruit or tangelos on me when I visit...haha!

The salad is size large of course (my style) and served with a side of plain yogurt sweetened with a little Splenda.  I usually dip the fruit into the yogurt as I eat it.

Ingredients

Banana

Apple

Tangelo

Frozen Raspberries

Strawberries

The Custard Apple

Also known as a Cherimoya here. Have you ever eaten one of these before?  They're not very common in the supermarkets.  They grow in sub tropical climates; I think ours come from Australia but they're also commonly grown in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, India & Africa.

I'd describe the taste as a combination of mild mango, banana and a touch of apple.  It really is a lovely taste and it has a creamy texture as the name suggests.

Nutritionally it has an excellent source of Vitamin C, a good amount of dietary fibre and respectable amounts of  of Vitamin B6, magnesium and potassium.  Not exactly a superfood, but definitely a tasty fruit!

Not only is the fruit nutritionally sound, the leaves and bark of the plant it grows on is used in natural remedies.  The leaves are used as a tonic for cold or digestive remedy; it can also be added to baths to aid rheumatic pain such as tired muscles and aching joints.  The bark and roots are given as a tonic to halt diarrhea .  The root itself can be administered as a drastic treatment for dysentery.  The seeds are toxic and can be crushed to treat head lice. Very interesting!

As I don't eat them very frequently, I have never used them to cook with or use them in a recipe; I usually just enjoy them as is.  To serve, I usually slice it in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.  As you can see you have to dodge quite a few stones.  I imagine they would make quite a tasty dessert if you choose to use it in recipes; I did find one recipe for Custard Apple cream which looks very nice from the Australian Custard Apple Growers Association website.

Custard Apple Cream

3tsps gelatine
1/3 cup boiling water
500g soft light cream cheese
½ cup caster sugar
190ml cream
2 custard apples, cut into segments, deseeded and pureed with a squeeze of lemon

Dissolve gelatine in one-third of a cup of boiling water. In a bowl beat softened cream cheese thoroughly then add gelatine mixture, caster sugar and cream. Add custard apple puree and beat until smooth. Pour into dessert glasses or pots. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Peanut Butter Fruit

I recently bought a new book: Edible, The Illustrated Guide To the World's Food Plants (see the side bar on the right). As I was browsing through, I noticed the name "Peanut Butter Fruit". Amazing... I had no idea there was such a thing! It's a tropical fruit that is native to South America. When it is just ripening into an orange colour, it gives the most crunchiest peanut butter flavour. It is typically used in preserves or blended into milkshakes or added to cakes.

How about that? You learn something every day.

Almond Apricot Oatmeal

I don't normally like oatmeal, I find it quite bland. However it is good for you; high in fibre, low in fat and complex carbohydrates. I love almonds and fruit, so this recipe was a perfect winter breakfast!

Almond Apricot Oatmeal

5og rolled oats
50g natural almonds or ground almonds
200ml low fat milk
1/4 cup Splenda or Sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
100g apricots, chopped + one apricot half
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Shredded coconut to garnish

Place almonds in food processor and process until it forms a fine crumb texture. Place oats in a pot with milk and simmer until oats are softened. Add almonds, splenda, vanilla essence, nutmeg, cinnamon and apricots. Cook until oatmeal reaches desired texture.

Remove from heat and pour into bowl. Garnish with an apricot half and shredded coconut. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information
Calories = 639
Fat = 29.1g
Carbohydrates = 70.3g
Fibre = 13.2g
Protein = 30.7g

Breakfast Berry Mousse with Almond Crumble

I stood in my kitchen this morning wondering what to have for breakfast. I didn't really feel like eggs, I'd had oatmeal quite a few times this week, but I did need to finish up the canned apricots I had opened the other day. I decided I wanted something fruity and as I started to get things out of my cupboard and fridge, this new recipe was created:

Berry Breakfast Mousse with Almond Crumble

200g mixed berries
100g chopped apricots
2 egg whites
200g low fat cottage cheese
1-2 Tbsp low fat milk
1/2 cup of Splenda or Caster Sugar (fine sugar)
50g rolled oats
40g raw almonds
20g butter (chopped)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

Mix berries and chopped apricots in a bowl and set aside. Place egg whites in a bowl and beat until they form stiff peaks. Beat in Splenda/sugar in batches until all mixed. Blend cottage cheese with low fat milk until smooth and then fold into egg white mixture. Fold in fruit and pour into an oven dish.

Place oats, almonds, chopped butter, cinnamon and nutmeg into a food processor and process until it forms a crumb-like consistency. Spread evenly over the fruit, egg white & cottage cheese mixture. Place dish in oven and bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes.

Nutritional Information (Total Recipe)
Calories = 901
Fat = 39
Carbohydrates = 87.7g (Fibre = 21g)
Protein = 54.7g