It's been a while since there was a quiz at Food Blogga. Are you ready? I'm warning you, if you thought the GRE was hard, wait until you get a look at some of these questions.
1. Which of the following is true about the name "kiwi"?
A. It is the presumed name of Gwenyth Paltrow's next baby, whose daughter is named Apple.
B. It is the name of a new ipod that stores recipes.
C. It is both the name of a flightless bird and the national symbol in New Zealand and replaced the fruit's original name, "the Chinese Gooseberry."
2. All of the following are true about the kiwifruit except:
A. It's an edible fruit that grows on a vine.
B. It's rich in vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants, and even omega-3 fatty acids.
C. It's on the list of endangered species.
3. _______ is the leading producer of kiwifruit in the world today:
A. New Zealand
B. Alaska (and there are people who deny global warming)
C. Italy
4. ________will happen if you eat the skin of a kiwifruit:
A. You'll start referring to all of your friends as "mate" and talk with a New Zealand accent.
B. Nothing, it's edible.
C. Your stomach will begin to sprout unsightly fuzzy hair. Then you'll have to visit Jeff's derm blog to find out how to remove it.
Read on for the answers.
Just when I thought fava beans had a lot of names, along comes the kiwifruit (kiwi) originally known as the Chinese Gooseberry. It's also known as the Macaque peach, the vine pear, the sunny peach, the hairy bush fruit, and my personal favorite, "strange fruit."
Call it what you will. Just make sure you eat these edible berries. The kiwifruit is the edible berry of the cultivar group of the woody vine Actinidia deliciosa and hybrids between this and other species in the genus Actinidia, which is native to Shaanxi, China. But who doesn't already know that?
Kiwis are grown in mild climates all over the world. Surprisingly, New Zealand is not the leading world producer of their famed fruit. The land of pasta, balsamic vinegar, and buffalo mozzarella is --Italy. Though I wouldn't recommend eating kiwi with any of the aforementioned foods.
Kiwis are both delicious and nutritious. With a flavor that tastes like a mix of citrus, grapes, strawberries, and bananas, a kiwi is both sweet and tart. Though the hairy outer skin is edible, I'd advise against eating it. That is, unless you really need the fiber -- a kiwi's fiber is tripled with the skin on. If you do eat it, then have a new container of dental floss at the ready. You'll need it.
Kiwis are highly nutritious: 2 kiwis are just over 100 calories and provide over 280% of your daily vitamin C needs! They're also a good source of cancer-fighting antioxidants, vitamin A, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Kiwis are ideal in fruit salads, but they're also wonderful in savory salads, salsas, and smoothies. If you've never baked with fresh kiwifruit, then get ready to be pleasantly surprised with these Kiwi and Coconut Muffins. Made with light coconut milk, orange blossom honey, and orange zest, they're remarkably moist and enticingly aromatic. Each bite is punctuated with juicy fresh kiwi and crunchy coconut topping. After finishing one, you may just find yourself saying, "Hey, mate, how 'bout another?"
Kiwi and Coconut Muffins
Made with light coconut milk, orange blossom honey, and orange zest, these muffins are remarkably moist and enticingly aromatic. Plus, each bite is punctuated with juicy fresh kiwi and crunchy coconut topping.
Makes 12 regular size muffins
Print recipe only here.
Muffins:
2 kiwis, finely diced (about 3/4 cup)**
2 cups all-purpose flour (or half AP and half whole wheat)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup light coconut milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg and 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon orange zest
3 tablespoons orange blossom honey
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup toasted sweetened shredded coconut
Topping:
3 tablespoons sweetened shredded coconut
Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Spray a 12 mold regular size muffin pan with cooking spray.
Peel kiwis. Dice and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together coconut milk, melted butter, and eggs. Add the orange zest, honey, and vanilla extract, and whisk until just combined. Add to the flour mixture, and stir quickly until well combined. Fold in the kiwis and toasted coconut. Spoon the batter evenly into the 12 molds.
Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with 3 tablespoons shredded coconut.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing each muffin and placing on a wire rack to cool.
** Use kiwis that are ripe yet still somewhat firm. If they're squishy, then they'll be too watery in the muffins. Also avoid adding more than 3/4 cup as it could make the batter too wet.
You might also like these fruity baked goods:
Honeyed Orange Ginger Muffins (Quat, Optional)
Low-Fat Lemony Medjool Date and Pomegranate Scones
Pear and Cardamom Cake
The Best Ever Pineapple Upside Down Cake
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