FRUIT HUNTER

In this blog, we were asked to become Fruit Hunters and find and taste a fruit that we are not familiar with.  My Fruit Hunter assignment took me to the Ontario Food Terminal.  I went there because my father works at the Ontario Food Terminal and I would have a better variety of fruits to choose from.

The day that I went down to the Ontario Food Terminal, I walked into some companies and asked what fruit they had that was unique and different.  One person suggested the Dragon Fruit.  When I looked at the fruit, I thought it was different and something that I had never seen before.

Dragon Fruit

Dragon fruit's botanical name is Hylocereus Undatus.  Dragon fruit looks like a pink soft pineapple with spikes.  The skin can either be pink, red or yellow and the inside is either white or red.  The dragon fruit that I picked had a white inside.

An interesting fact about dragon fruit is that it is pollinated at night by bats and moths.  Dragon fruit needs rainfall of around 600 - 1300 mm and a maximum temperature of 38 - 40 degrees Celsius.

Dragon fruit is rich in nutrients and low in calories.  It is high in fiber, manganese, iron and various vitamins and minerals.  The health benefits of dragon fruit is that it has the ability to aid in weight loss, control diabetes, improve digestion, and lower cholesterol.

Dragon fruit originated from Mexico, South America, and Central America.  New settlers brought it to Southeast Asian nations like Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam.  Dragon fruit today is exported from Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand and Vietnam.

The company that I got the dragon fruit from was selling a case of dragon fruit for $75.00 to grocery stores.  I checked Sobeys and Metro near my house and they were selling dragon fruit for $3.99 each.  

My sensory evaluation of dragon fruit is that it is a pretty color of pink and when I cut it open, it was white with black seeds.  It smelt like kiwi.  When I tasted the fruit, it was sweet but not overly sweet.  The taste reminded me of a pear.  It was not an overpowering flavor.

Dragon fruit is best eaten chilled, or chopped into cubes and added to fruit salad or blended into drinks or smoothies. 

Dragon Fruit and Banana Smoothie

Dragon Fruit Smoothie - Makes 2 Servings

Ingredients

2 cups frozen dragon fruit cubes

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt 

1 banana

Procedure

1. In a blender, liquefy the ingredients

2. Serve in two bowls

3. Add extra toppings if you like

What I learned from this Fruit Hunter assignment is that I should be more open to trying new things even though they may not look as appealing to eat.  The dragon fruit did not look appealing but it was still good.  I do not think I will eat it on a regular basis but if it is on the table, I would not think twice about eating it.

References

"Dragon Fruit".  www.dragonfruititaya.com

Images from www.pixel.com

Staughton, John.  "19 Health Benefits of Dragon Fruit (Pitaya)".  Organic Facts, 2018 Organic Information Services Pvt Ltd.  www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/health-benefits-of-dragon-fruit.html

"What is Dragon Fruit Good For?".  FoodFacts by Mercola.  October 7, 2016.  www.foodfacts.mercola/dragon-fruit.html

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and Minerals

Some of the vitamins that we are not getting enough of in our diets living in North America are calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E.  You do not need to go out and buy these vitamins from the pharmacy.  You can get these vitamins back in your diet by eating certain foods.

If you are missing calcium in your diet, you could drink more milk, or start by adding nonfat plain yogurt to your diet.  You can also add Swiss cheese, salmon or cooked spinach.  These are foods that will help add calcium to your diet.

If you are lacking potassium, add baked sweet potatoes or Yellow-fin tuna to your diet.  If you need more fiber in your diet, add 100% bran cereal, or cooked black beans, or whole-wheat English muffins.  Eat Brazil nuts, cooked halibut or almonds to add magnesium to your diet.  Carrots are a great source of Vitamin A.  If you need Vitamin C, eat more oranges, strawberries, cantaloupe or cooked broccoli.  Roasted sunflower seeds and peanut butter help add Vitamin E to a person's diet.

Grilling

Unfortunately, fresh fruits and vegetables loose some of their nutrients the minute they are picked.  When you go to the grocery store, pick the freshest of fruits and vegetables and when you get home, store them properly so that you did not loose any further nutrients.  Store fruits and vegetables in the fridge or freeze to help stop the degradation of vitamins.  Nutrients are also lost in the cooking process.  

Stir-fry

Boiling reduces Vitamin C in foods like broccoli, spinach and lettuce.  These foods could loose up to 50% of their Vitamin C.  Instead of boiling, try grilling or broiling certain vegetables to keep more of the nutrients in the foods.  Sauteing and stir-frying is another good way to cook vegetables to keep the nutrients.  Stir-frying uses a small amount of oil or butter and usually the cooking time is rather short, so there is less time for the nutrients to disappear.  

I decided to cook carrots by using three different cooking methods.  I made steamed carrots, glazed carrots and broiled carrots.  

Steamed Carrots

Before Steaming

Cooked Steam Carrots

For the steamed carrots, I used baby carrots and steam them until they were cooked.  To check if the carrots were cooked, I pierced them with a fork and if the fork went into the carrot easily, then they were cooked.  I added salt and pepper to taste.

Broiled Carrots

Raw Carrots

Broiled Carrots

For the broiled carrots I used the large carrots and cut them into batonnet.  I placed them on a sheet pan which was lightly oiled.  I added salt and pepper to taste.

Glazed Carrots with Brown Sugar

Ingredients

Here is my recipe for the glazed carrots.  

Ingredients

16 ounces of carrots

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup of brown sugar

1 cup water

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.  Wash baby carrots under cold water

2.  Combine carrots with butter, brown sugar and water in medium sized saucepan

3.  Stir to blend the ingredients thoroughly

4.  Bring to a boil over high heat

5.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue boiling (uncovered) for 20 to 25 minutes or until carrots are tender and liquid has evaporated

Glazed Carrots with Brown Sugar

The method of cooking that I liked the best for the carrots is the broiled carrots.  I like the taste of these carrots the most.  Carrots are high in Vitamin A, Biotin, Vitamin K1, Potassium and Vitamin B6.  Vitamin A promotes good vision, and is important for growth and development.  

Canadians are deficient in Vitamin D and/or Iron.  This Tuna Mushroom and Broccoli Risotto is high in Vitamin D and Iron because of the tuna, mushrooms and broccoli.

Tuna Mushroom and Broccoli Risotto

Ingredients

Ingredients

2 cans flaked light tuna

8 cups low salt chicken stock

1/2 cup of white wine

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 cup chopped button mushrooms

1 cup broccoli

2 cups Italian Arborio rice

1 tablespoon butter

2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Broccoli, onions, and rice

1.  Heat stock and wine in a saucepan to a gentle boil.  Take off heat and cover to keep warm.

Tuna, Mushroom and Broccoli Risotto

2.  Add olive oil to a large stock pot, saute onions, broccoli and mushrooms over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes

3.  Add rice to mixture, saute for 2 minutes

4.  Add stock 1 cup at a time (each cup should be fully absorbed before adding the next) until you have used 6 cups, then start adding 1/2 cup at a time until rice is cooked

5.  Add in tuna and butter and cook for another 2 minutes

6.  Take off the heat and add in the parmesan cheese

References

Bjarnadottir, Adda.  "Carrots 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits."  January 23, 2015.  www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/carrots.

Griffin, R. Morgan.  "Missing Nutrients in your Food."  WebMD, 2007.  www.webmd.com/diet/features/missing-nutrients-in-your-food.

Images from www.pixels.com.

Spritzler, Franziska.  "How Cooking Affects the Nutrient Contents of Foods."  February 11, 2016.  www.healthline.com/nutrition/cooking-nutrient-content.

White, Dana Angelo.  "How to Prevent Vitamin Loss When Cooking Vegetables."  2016.  www.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/healthy-tips/2013/04/how-to-prevent-vitamin-loss-when-cooking-vegetables.