NEW STARFRUIT!!!
available in a store near you
About Starfuit....
Star Fruit is a juicy tropical fruit grown in Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia, Australia, South America, but also in Hawaii and Florida, so they're an easy fruit to find at your local grocery store or market. Star Fruit are a good choice during the winter months, when they're readily available. And because they're a good source of Vitamin C, star fruit can help fight off winter colds and flus.
With only 30 calories per fruit plus lots of fiber, star fruit is a great choice for anyone trying to lose weight. They're also very healthy - full of antioxidants and flavonoids. They are great frshly eaten, cooked, or juiced.
Some great recipies that include star fruit are...
1. Starfruit dessert with mango orange sauce
Ingredients:
- SERVES 2-4
- 1 fresh ripe star fruit (for more on buying and preparing star fruit, see instructions below)
- 1 cup orange juice, or approx. 2 oranges juiced
- the fruit of 1 fresh ripe mango (for more on mangoes, see below)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (or substitute a natural sweetener of your choice - maple syrup or agave nectar work well)
- up to 1 cup good-quality coconut milk
- optional: a handful of fresh pomegranate seeds or cherries
- optional: whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (as a topping)
Preparation:
- Place the star fruit (count out 3 slices per person) in a pot on the stove. Add the orange juice. Stir well and turn heat to high until juice begins to boil. Then turn down to medium.
- Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, or until star fruit has softened enough to easily cut into with a spoon. Now and then you can gently move the slices around and turn them over so they all get cooked more or less equally. Remove any more brown seeds that may loosen and surface.
- While star fruit is cooking, place the mango fruit in a food processor, mini chopper, or blender. Process or blend until it is smooth and pureed. Set aside.
- When star fruit is nearly done, adding the sugar/sweetener and stir to dissolve. Remove pot from heat.
- Add the mango puree, stirring well to incorporate. Do a taste-test for sweetness, adding more sugar if needed (how sweet it is will depend on the ripeness of the fruit/juice you're using). If it happens to be too sweet for your taste, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice, or a little more orange juice.
- When you're happy with the taste, portion out 3 star fruit slices per bowl with enough sauce to surround the fruit (it should still be warm from the pot). Top each bowl with a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds or cherry pieces. Then drizzle over some coconut milk and serve! This dessert is also excellent when given a final topping of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
2. Rose pallet salad with starfruit
Yield: SERVES 2 as a Dinner Salad
Ingredients:
- 2 roasted chicken breasts, shredded, OR 2 uncooked chicken breasts, OR 3-4 chicken thighs or drumsticks
- approx. 1 cup cooked fresh shrimp, OR 1 cup fresh raw shrimp
- 1 cucumber, sliced lengthwise into matchstick-like pieces
- 1 cup fresh coriander, lightly chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, lightly chopped or shredded
- 3 spring (green) onions, sliced lengthwise into matchstick pieces
- 1 star fruit
- 2-3 roses (different colors make the salad more interesting), preferably in full bloom
- 1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, left whole or lightly chopped
- SALAD DRESSING:
- 2 Tbsp. fish sauce (available in the Asian section of most large supermarkets)
- juice of 1 whole fresh lime
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-3 tsp. chili sauce, OR 1-2 fresh minced red chilies (seeds removed) - depending on how spicy you want your salad
Preparation:
To make a Vegetarian version of this salad, go to: Vegetarian Rose Petal Salad.
- If using uncooked chicken: Simply toss the chicken with 2-3 Tbsp. soy sauce, cover, and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. When cooked, shred or cut the meat into strips.
- To quickly cook raw shrimp: Place shrimp in a pot of boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes, then remove from heat and drain. Be sure to remove the shells.
- Make the salad dressing by mixing all dressing ingredients together in a cup. Do a quick taste-test (look for a balance of salty, sour, sweet, and spicy). Add a little more sugar if too sour, or a little more lime juice if too salty.
- To clean the roses: Fill a bowl or pot with cool, soapy water (you can use vegetable wash or a drop or two of dish soap). Plunge the head of the first rose into the soapy water and gently swish around. Then rinse under the tap (use cool or cold water), and gently shake to dry. Repeat with the second rose.
- Peel off the rose petals, starting from the outside of the rose and working toward the center. If your roses are very large, you may not need all the petals (3/4 to 1 loose cup is enough).
- Prepare and slice the star fruit. . Include about half the star fruit in your salad - save the rest for eating or juicing.
- Place all salad ingredients - except star fruit and rose petals - in a large bowl. Stir the salad dressing and pour it over, then toss.
- Now add most of the rose petals and star fruit and gently toss or fold in. Reserve some of each for garnishing.
- Transfer salad to a serving platter, or scoop into individual salad bowls. Top with reserved rose petals and star fruit slices, and ENJOY this beautiful Thai salad!
3. vegetarian rose petal salad with starfruit
Yield: SERVES 2 as a Dinner Salad
Ingredients:
- 2 roasted chicken breasts, shredded, OR 2 uncooked chicken breasts, OR 3-4 chicken thighs or drumsticks
- approx. 1 cup cooked fresh shrimp, OR 1 cup fresh raw shrimp
- 1 cucumber, sliced lengthwise into matchstick-like pieces
- 1 cup fresh coriander, lightly chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, lightly chopped or shredded
- 3 spring (green) onions, sliced lengthwise into matchstick pieces
- 1 star fruit
- 2-3 roses (different colors make the salad more interesting), preferably in full bloom
- 1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, left whole or lightly chopped
- SALAD DRESSING:
- 2 Tbsp. fish sauce (available in the Asian section of most large supermakets)
- juice of 1 whole fresh lime
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-3 tsp. chili sauce, OR 1-2 fresh minced red chilies (seeds removed) - depending on how spicy you want your salad
Preparation:
To make a Vegetarian
- If using uncooked chicken: Simply toss the chicken with 2-3 Tbsp. soy sauce, cover, and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. When cooked, shred or cut the meat into strips.
- To quickly cook raw shrimp: Place shrimp in a pot of boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes, then remove from heat and drain. Be sure to remove the shells.
- Make the salad dressing by mixing all dressing ingredients together in a cup. Do a quick taste-test (look for a balance of salty, sour, sweet, and spicy). Add a little more sugar if too sour, or a little more lime juice if too salty.
- To clean the roses: Fill a bowl or pot with cool, soapy water (you can use vegetable wash or a drop or two of dish soap). Plunge the head of the first rose into the soapy water and gently swish around. Then rinse under the tap (use cool or cold water), and gently shake to dry. Repeat with the second rose.
- Peel off the rose petals, starting from the outside of the rose and working toward the center. If your roses are very large, you may not need all the petals (3/4 to 1 loose cup is enough).
- Prepare and slice the star fruit. For more on how to prepare star fruit, see my How to Prepare Star Fruit.. Include about half the star fruit in your salad - save the rest for eating or juicing.
- Place all salad ingredients - except star fruit and rose petals - in a large bowl. Stir the salad dressing and pour it over, then toss.
- Now add most of the rose petals and star fruit and gently toss or fold in. Reserve some of each for garnishing.
- Transfer salad to a serving platter, or scoop into individual salad bowls. Top with reserved rose petals and star fruit slices, and ENJOY this beautiful Thai salad!
A Description...
History of Starfruit
Starfruits are yellow but can also be green if not ripened just like a banana. It is classified as a tropical fruit since it is grown in hot wheathered climates. It has a oval shape and has many ridges along the side of it before it is cut, but once you cut it it forms the shape of an actual star. You will definitely beable to tell a starfruit from any other fruit because it has a distinguishing shape and it looks like a star!
Here are some facts about starfruit!!!!
*Native to Sri Lanka, the Moluccas, India and Indonesia, star fruit is considered to be a relatively "new" fruit and is now cultivated in the United States.
* Southeast Asia and Malaysia have cultivated star fruit for hundreds of years.
*Florida is a major producer.
Starfruit comes in only one variety.