Kiwi's Makes Me Go WEEEEE

Yesterday, I wrote about Superfoods - natures prime ingredients. A diet loaded with these tasty ingredients will help your body function at it's best. Every food on my list boasts multiple healing effects, AND is easy to come by. The Super Pick I'd like to focus on this week is the Kiwi.

  Kiwis are an edible berry. The most common varieties are oval, and just a bit larger than a duck's egg. The skin is a dull brown-green that is fuzzy to the touch. The flesh is bright green or golden with a center ring of tiny, black, edible seeds. The fruit has a soft and semi-mealy texture and a sweet but citrus-like flavor. This little fruit is nutrient dense and packs an amazing amount of vitamin C (twice the amount found in an orange), has more fiber than an apple, and is higher in potassium than a banana. The blend of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals found in a kiwi helps protect against heart disease, stroke, cancer, and respiratory disease. Kiwi is also a natural blood-thinner, but works without the side effects of aspirin and supports heart health by reducing the formation of blood clots, lowering cholesterol, and reducing blood pressure. Kiwi is often recommended as part of a diet to battle cancer as it accelerates the healing of wounds and cells.

Tips:

- Eat one kiwi a day while they're in season. California kiwi is in season from October through May, and New Zealand is available between April and November.

- Kiwi contains enzymes that activate once you cut the fruit, causing the flesh to tenderize. So if you're making a fruit salad, cut the kiwi last.

- The riper the kiwi, the greater the antioxidants, so eat them when they are ripe.

Meditaranean Israeli Cous Cous:

Serves 6

1 1/2 cup water
3/4 cup Israeli Cous Cous
3 California Kiwi, peeled and cut
1 Yellow Pepper, diced
3/4 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved

3/4 cup Chick Peas

1/4 cup Kalamata Olives, pits removed
3 Scallions, thinly sliced
1 Tbs Lemon Juice
3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Fresh Basil, sliced
1/2 cup crumbled Goat Cheese
To Taste Salt and Pepper
1 tsp Honey
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- In a small saucepan, cook Israeli Cous Cous like pasta.  Toss in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and cool.
- Combine all the ingredients except Goat Cheese in a medium bowl and gently stir.
- Refridgerate until ready to serve.  Top with Goat Cheese.

- Enjoy!

Kiwi Cheesecake:
Filling:

1 1/2 pound Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup Low Fat Sour Cream

1 1/2 cups Sugar

5 Eggs

2 Kiwis, peeled and pureed
2 Tbl Lime Juice
1 Tbl Vanilla
Crust:
1 cup Almonds, ground
1 cup Graham Crackers, crushed
1 Tbl Butter, melted
Garnish:
2 Kiwis, peeled and sliced thin

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Prepare pan: 9-inch with parchment paper
- Combine Almonds, Graham Crackers and Butter until evenly moistened.  Firmly press into the bottom of the pie pan
- Mix all filling ingredients together at low speed for 2 minutes.  Pour onto crust and bake for 45 minutes and cool.
- Garnish with fresh sliced Kiwis.
-ENJOY!
  Whether you eat them raw, cooked, or alone, add some tropics in your life and grab a kiwi.
Happy Eating
-Chef Heather