rambutan - a fuzzy fruit

I just tried a rambutan - which was delicious a cousin of lychee both exotic fruit of South America.

I wonder where to get some more, since this was brought in by someone at work.

It tasted similar to lychee, and I opened it with a paring knife exposing it's smooth delicious insides.  Looks like it's rich in manganese.  I don't have it's full nutrition profile but I am sure it's great to enjoy along with other fruits and vegetables.

Fresh Green Chickpeas

After another trip to the cash and carry market, I came back getting fresh Green Chickpeas (Chana), the frozen version I talked about in this post They look like bright green edamame but peeling the skin you get a fresh chickpea. After tasting them, we agreed that they taste great steamed or raw. My son loved them and snapped them up. Here is a picture Strix also posted about these little gems on her blog with beautiful pictures

karela and guava

Last visit to my local oriental grocery store I got some karela and guava to try. Initially I sliced up the karela, that looks like a prickly cucumber but it was very hard and bitter so must be cooked. I tried it in a stirfry but it was very bitter. Second try was to marinate it in lemon juice and vinegar overnight. That turned out ok. We let guava sit until it was softer, since it looked like a pear but when I cut it open it looked /tasted like it should have had more time to ripen. The inside of it is tender, but closer to the skin was not so much. Not sweet, a mild flavor, with seeds which I couldn't chew and had to spit out. I put some in my morning smoothie, but I need to find out more about it and how to eat it/prepare it best.

Kohlrabi Turnips and Kiwi

My little one had show and tell in his daycare on his favourite theme - fruits and vegetables!  Here is what he brought - Kohlrabi Turnips and Kiwi. Now here is more about each one.

 Kohlrabi and Turnips are considered Super-Veggies: Cruciferous Vegetables

"The cruciferous family has demonstrated the most dramatic protection against cancer They contain a symphony of phytonutrients with potent anti-cancer effects. 

Important recent studies have shown that cruciferous vegetables and the compounds they contain can do the following:

* halt the growth of breast cancer cells

* dramatically reduce the risk of colon cancer

* prevent the replication of prostate cancer cells and induce death of cancerous cells

* inhibit the progression of lung cancer"

Just remember to eat the greens

Kohlrabi

These little sputnik-shaped vegetables come in green or purple, can be eaten raw or cooked, and taste a lot like broccoli stems.  Kohlrabi is often mistakenly referred to as a root vegetable, but in fact it grows just above ground, forming a unique, turnip-shaped swelling at the base of the stem.

• Good source of Thiamin, Selenium, Folate, Magnesium and Phosphorus, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.
  

Turnips  

• Also root vegetables, such as beets and carrots, are packed with fiber and powerful antioxidants, like cartonoids and betacyanin, which protect against cancer by inhibiting cell mutations. And these anti-cancer properties are also found in other fruits and veggies, like nuts, beans, peppers, tomatoes, oranges and especially leafy greens, such as broccoli and watercress.
• High in Vitamin C, Manganese, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Potassium and Copper

Kiwi

Kiwi - Yeah, the fuzzy outside is pretty gross, but it has been found to contain healthy compounds that fight off bugs like staph and E. coli  - Try them organic with the skin on!

• Good Source of Vitamin E, Potassium and Copper, and a very good source of Vitamin C and Vitamin K.