Freshen up this Spring with Kiwi Fruit! Plus Kiwi & Pineapple Pina Coladas

 

Kiwi fruit are so gorgeous, and yet can be sometimes an overlooked fruit.
They are so versatile, affordable and easy for kids to eat, my youngest has eaten so many lately, they would have to be up there as one of her all time favourite fruits! Recently I was contacted to try out the New Zealand Zespri GOLD kiwifruit (insert happy 3 year old) - and they are stunning!

 

Of course coming from pristine New Zealand I was expecting a fresh, crisp flavour anyway and I wasn't disappointed, they are beautiful and such high quality and keep well in the fruit bowl as well, which is so great for planning out those fruit breaks at school. The kids love the pretty gold colour and they are perfect for kids fruit breaks for school, kindy or after sports.

They also go beautifully in a fruit salad or platter for the whole family - or maybe just for mum! ;)
 

According to Zespri, these gold kiwifruit are fantastic for digestive health and I don't know about you but anything that makes my digestion, gut and bowels happy makes me happy!
(Especially after 2 babies if you know what I mean ; )

These gold kiwifruit are SO good for you!
Quoted from Zespri Website:
"Fibre in kiwifruit is made up of pectins, hemicelluloses and celluloses, which give it certain properties, such as the ability to retain water and form gels. It can have a significant effect on digestion:

• Reducing the glucose absorption rate, so that the GI is lowered and blood sugar levels remain stable
• Increasing the sense of fullness, since the fibre acts to increase viscosity and slow gastric emptying
• Increasing the frequency of bowel movements
• Reducing the sensation of bloatedness
• Reducing the time of intestinal transit

Actinidin is a protease found in kiwifruit, which breaks down proteins and facilitates gastric digestion. This natural enzyme has the ability to break-down a wide range of food proteins more completely and faster than the digestive enzymes can do on their own. Actinidin was most effective on proteins found in beef and chicken, fish, pulses and cereals (gluten and soya protein isolate), and dairy products such as milk, cottage cheese and yogurt.
The digestive benefits of actinidin:

• Improves the digestion of proteins by reducing the sensation of heaviness associated with protein-rich foods
• Improves the absorption of proteins
• Improves digestive comfort"

Raw kiwifruit is also a great source of folic acid, potassium, vitamin c, e and antioxidents.
For more information on the health benefits of the kiwi head to the Zespri Website.

With their lovely zing, we are enjoying ours mainly fresh, as is, cut in half with a spoon, sliced into fruit salads and platters, baked into a delicious kiwi banana bread (get this recipe next week on the blog too) and my FAVOURITE way

Fresh and Fabulous Mocktail
Kiwi and Pineapple Pina Colada

Ingredients

4 Zespri Gold Kiwifruit

1/2 a large or 1 small fresh pineapple

1/2 cup organic coconut cream

1 can coconut water (I use Jt's Coconut Essence as it is my favourite)

Method

Chop the fresh pineapple into chunks.

Take the skin off the kiwifruit and chop into pieces.

Add all ingredients into a blender and blitz until you have a lovely, runny texture.

Serve over crushed ice.

Enjoy!

 

Notes

My kids absolutely love this and it is a perfect pick me up if you are running from school pick up to an after school activity like sports or dance! ( Can you tell I am a dance mum??) I make some ahead and store in glass bottles with lids in the fridge so I can have them ready to be enjoyed when I pick them up and we are zipping around.

Turn them into icypoles! Simply pour into icy pole moulds and freeze - note do it right away before any separating might occur.

I am in kiwifruit heaven right now and am just SO delighted to have a GIVEAWAY for you!!

Zespri Gold kiwifruit have for 1 lucky reader the chance to win a $30 Woolworths gift card so you can go out and buy some of these gorgeous gold kiwifruit and try the pina coladas yourself and also a beautiful kiwifruit bowl!
How fun is that!
Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


NOTE:
This is in no way endorsed by or run in conjunction with facebook.
This is an independent giveaway.
Winner will be notified by email and has 2 weeks to claim prize or there may be a redraw.
Competition open to Australian residents only.
Winner must have left a blog post comment to be eligible.
This giveaway is brought to you by Zespri Kiwifruit.
All information in this post is intended for interest only, please always seek advice from a health care professional in regards to your health and diet.

Chilled Chai Refresher

Sometimes you just want something a little different!
Delicious and refreshing, perfect for entertaining or a relaxing afternoon.

Smells and tastes beautiful.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Chai ( I used local Sunshine Coast  Lotuseed)
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups Almond milk
• Vanilla Soy Vanilla Bliss Icecream (you could you coyo coconut ice-cream as well)
• Honey (I used local Beeman honey)

Method

• In a saucepan place the 4 cups water and 2 tablespoons Chai.
• Bring to the boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Strain into a second saucepan and combine with the almond milk.
• Simmer for 6 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Sweeten to taste with Beeman Honey
• Allow to cool.
• When cooled chill in the fridge until lovely and cold.
• Pour chilled chai into a decorative serving glasses.
• Top each one with a scoop of the vanilla bliss soy ice cream.
• Serve.

Notes

• Put as little or as much ice cream to taste.
• Beautiful for cooling off on a hot day.
• Great for entertaining
• Make a Chai slushie by pouring cooled prepared chai with almond milk into a shallow dish, freeze. When frozen remove from freezer and put in a blender until it is a slushie consistency, serve in decorative glass with spoon.

This recipe was created by me for the Maleny Supa IGA Local Product Local Recipe - recipe cards, collect them in store.


Recipe & Food Image Photography ©RebeccaMugridge 2012

RECIPE - Gorgeous Pink Sparkle Drink (No Added Sugar & Healthy)

My Beautiful Pink Sprakle Drink!

Delightly simple ~ deliciously refreshing

Makes a large party sized batch - can be halved for smaller quantities

Ingredients

1/4 raw large beetroot, juiced

5 pink lady apples, juiced
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 punnet fresh strawberries, hulled and juiced
1/2 lemon, juiced, without rind
1 fresh pineapple, juiced
1-2 litres soda water (depending on how strong you want it to taste)
Ice to serve
optional - sweeten with stevia or norbu

*Blend raspberries with about 1 cup of the water.
*Combine all ingredients well in a glass jug
*If desired sweeten to taste with some powdered stevia (optional)
*Chill
*Serve with ice
 

NOTES:
Swap water for soda water for a fizzy version.
Can also be dilluted down with more quantity of water for a very light and refreshing drink

Great healthy mixer for cocktails

Enjoy!
Rebecca xx

RECIPE - Chill out with a Healthy & Moorish Iced Coffee

Chill out with a Healthy & Moorish Iced Coffee

It's hot but you still like to get together with friends and chat over a coffee, or take some time for yourself and sit with a coffee so this is a great recipe you can pre make and enjoy with friends and best of all it's healthy!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cold made up coffee
• I love organic coffee's and my local Montville Coffee
• 1 tablespoon Macca Powder (optional)
• 1 tablespoon organic cocoa or cacao (I used Planet Organic - organic, natural cocoa powder)
• 1 tablespoon cold pressed flax seed oil
• 1 litre organic soy, almond milk or real milk like Maleny Dairies 
• 1 tablespoon dark agave, raw honey 
• Sweet Leaf liquid chocoate stevia
• to taste (optional)

Method

• Blend together all ingredients except the stevia
• Taste and then sweeten with stevia to your personal taste preference
• Chill in the fridge
• Serve in decorative glasses
• Sprinkle a little cocoa powder on top to serve

Notes

• I made my coffee, strong in a stove top percolator then let completely cool.
• Make it more chocolately by adding some drops of liquid chocolate stevia (YUM, natural, chemical and sugar free!)
• You can leave the cocoa out and even increase the coffee to taste for a strong coffee version.
• Serve as a cocktail with a little dash of a coffee liqueur.

Enjoy!

Rebecca xx