It's been a while and safe to say, life has been incredibly hectic, unsettled and testing my resolve to just 'be' with the moments as they pan out before me.
One thing that has been constant through all of the chaos is my consumption of food. My appetite post transplant has been ravenous which, apparently is a good thing, and a result of one of my medications.
And for you, the reader, this is a good thing. I am in the kitchen almost daily cooking up and sampling new and wonderful things.
This blog will be the first of my personal challenge to prepare SEVEN BLOGS IN SEVEN DAYS.
It is dedicated not just to muffins, but to a rather unlikely and under-used ingredient that goes very well in this warming winter treat, wheterh you have it for breakfast or as an afternoon delight with coffee or tea......and that ingredient is the humble PERSIMMON.
Native to China, the Fuyu Persimmon is the most commonly available variety and is rich in health promoting nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants that are vital for optimum health.
Persimmons contain many health benefiting anti-oxidants as well as an anti-tumor compound.
Fresh permissions contain anti-oxidant compounds like vitamin-A, beta carotene, lycopene, along with others which function as protective scavengers against free radicals and play a role in ageing and various disease processes.
When I visited my local working week cafe (Eclipse) recently, they were serving up a muffin that wasn't just your standard offering, rather a seasonal offering containing persimmon and apple.
I mentioned on Facebook recently that I would share this muffin recipe with you as it's easy, tasty and a great way to sample persimmons, a fruit that I myself had not tried previously.
Persimmon and Apple Muffins
2 cups plain flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup caster sugar (you can now buy raw caster sugar which is less refined)
1 egg
250ml low fat milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use rice bran oil)
Preheat oven to 200 C
Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl
Make a well in the centre.
In a small bowl, beat egg with a fork.
Stir in milk and oil.
Pour all at once into well and mix quickly and lightly WITH A FORK.
Do not overbeat. The mixture should be thick and lumpy - don't worry if there are some areas of flour not mixed in.
Now mix in your persimmon and apple. Use 1/2 cup of each. With the persimmon, use a semi soft fruit and peel the skin so that only the flesh is used.
Spoon the mixture into well greased muffin pans or alternatively, use the silicon muffin cups that are readily available on the market. Makes the whole process SOOOO easy.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until firm in the centre and golden brown on top.
Blog Number 1 down, 6 to go...... back to you tomorrow!
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