Travelling with a Hungry Tum

Passport & Plate - Feijoa and Apple Breakfast Crumble

New Zealand | Thursday, March 5, 2015 | 2 photos

Ingredients
3 medium sized feijoas, pulp removed and chopped
1 ripe apple, diced finely
2 weetbix
3 tsp desiccated coconut
1 tbsp slivered almonds
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp manuka honey
yoghurt, to serve

Recipe Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Combine the apple and feijoa in a bowl with a little water. Microwave for 1 1/2-2 minutes until softened. Spoon into two ramekins.
Crumble the weetbix into a bowl and mix with the ginger, coconut and almonds. Melt the honey slightly and mix into the dried ingredients to coat well. Spoon on top of the fruit mixture and cook for 10-12 minutes until the top is lightly golden.
Serve with yoghurt. Enjoy!

Story behind the recipe:
When I'm traveling, away from home, exploring interesting places and being surrounded by exotic tastes and aromas my mind always wanders to the flavours I miss from home. When meeting new people from around the globe the conversation inevitably turns to food, "what crazy dishes have you tried?", "what crazy ingredients have you seen in the markets?" "what's your favourite dish from your home country?". For me, the food I miss most when I'm away from New Zealand is fejioas. Originally from South America these interesting fruit have now become a true symbol of home for Kiwis the world over, their unique flavour a division among countrymen. I'm firmly on the 'love them' side. From the pungent, heady aroma of the fruit ripening on the tree, to the tasty, tangy flavour that's like a punch in the mouth from the very first spoonful, to the rich and juicy flesh that dissolves on the tongue, there's nothing quite like a feijoa.



This dish is my favourite way to enjoy them - it's quick and easy and being for breakfast, means you've got the rest of the day to squeeze in as many more feijoas as you can get your hands on. Feijoas are by far the star of the dish, but the honey and apple help to balance out their zingy intensity, the crunch of the crumble contrasting with the ooey gooey filling and really giving you something to wrap your mouth around. It's a great way to introduce someone to the beauty of feijoas, and yet still has the punchy flavour that takes every Kiwi straight back to their childhoods, gorging on forbidden fruit beneath the neighbours tree. If someone were visiting New Zealand this is the dish I would make for them because to me, sharing this feijoa and apple breakfast crumble wouldn't be just about sharing a meal, it would be like sharing a piece of myself and a piece of New Zealand.