MUESLI

Apple muesli with dried fruit and coconut

You may have heard about Breakfast In A Jar;  this is the original version of it.  I like to have something prepared and ready to go for busy mornings, and this is a great start to the morning.  This will keep for several days in the fridge, and develops a nice flavour.

Muesli is a cereal of rolled oats, fruits and nuts, softened or soaked in milk or liquid. Think of it as cold oatmeal!

I used rolled oats, grated apples, dried cranberries and blueberries and coconut chips soaked in unsweetened almond milk,   So delicious! The grated apple really adds a nice sweetness and freshness to this.

You can really make muesli with any mix of fruits and nuts, liquids and could also serve this topped with some additional fruit or chopped nuts.

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 - 1/2 cups almond milk or other milk of your choice
• 1 cup plain greek yogurt, or yogurt of your choice
• 2 apples, grated to the core (peeled or unpeeled is your choice, I leave them unpeeled)
• 1/3 cup coconut chips (big pieces of unsweetened dried coconut flakes)
• 3 Tbsp.dried blueberries
• 3 Tbsp. dried cranberries
• 4 Tbsp honey (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Grate the apples into a bowl on the coarse side of a box grater. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir together well. Let the muesli soak overnight in the refrigerator. Serve with additional fruit or coconut sprinkled on top if you like.

MY FAV FRUIT

The persimmon is my favourite fruit and it is persimmon season!  Yeah!  This delicate oriental fruit is native to China.  It spread to Japan and was later introduced to California during the middle nineteenth century.  I went to Costco and they had them!  I have had two already and I am thinking of having another and calling it dinner.  Pick some up; it may become your favourite too!



Here are some persimmon facts:

• The fruit is low in calories (provides 70 calories/100g) and fats but is rich source of dietary fiber.
• Persimmons contain health benefiting phyto-nutrients flavonoid poly-phenolic anti-oxidants likecatechins and gallocatechins as well as important anti-tumor compound betulinic acid. Catechins are known to have anti-infective, anti-inflammatory and anti-hemorrhagic (prevents bleeding from small blood vessels) properties.
• Fresh permissions contain anti-oxidant compounds like vitamin-A, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zea-xanthin and cryptoxanthin. Together, these compounds functions as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes.
• Zea-xanthin, an important dietary carotenoid, selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eyes where it is thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions; thus, helps prevent "Age-related macular related macular disease"(ARMD) in the elderly.
• They are also a very good source of vitamin-C, another powerful antioxidant (especially native Chinese and American persimmons; provide 80% of DRI). Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.
• The fruit is good in many valuable B-complex vitamins such as folic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), thiamin...etc. These vitamins act as co-factors for numerous metabolic enzymatic functions in the body.
• Fresh Persimmon fruits also contain healthy amounts of minerals like potassium, manganese (15% of DRI), copper (12% of DRI), and phosphorus. Manganese is a co-factor for the enzyme, superoxide dismutase, which is a very powerful free radical scavenger. Copper is a co-factor for many vital enzymes, including cytochrome c-oxidase and superoxide dismutase (other minerals function as cofactors for this enzyme are manganese, and zinc). Copper is also required for the production of red blood cells.