Urban Fruit - handpicked & gently baked. reviewed by thebettylife

It looked like Christmas came early for me when I received this very exciting mystery box in the post one morning. Inside, was a selection of dried fruit products, kindly sent to me by Urban Fruit for a ‘bettylife’ review.  So, no time was wasted in selecting my first choice…

Porridge, flax-seed and superberries.

Adding dried fruit to my brekky is not unusual for me. However, these superberries did have more of a kick than my usual sprinkling of raisins or apricots. I’m always interested to know the health benefits that food has on the body and Urban Fruit Superberries was not short on ‘the good stuff’…

Out of all the fruits, Urban Fruit have picked Superberries to be the star of the show. Why? Golden berries are an excellent source of vitamin A & C, whilst being a tasty source of bioflavonoids (said to have a long list of heath boosting effects due to the high levels of antioxidants present). Cranberries are another powerful source of antioxidants, eaten regularly can reduce urinary tract infections, lower cholesterol and even protect the brain from neurological damage. And lastly, not forgetting the red grape with all its health boosting antibacterial, antiviral and anti-tumor properties. So yes, I would agree that making Superberries the star of the show is a fair choice.

Dinner time saw the Urban Fruits make another appearance in…

Wheatberry and bean salad with tomatoes, red pepper, apple & pear slices with an organic hummus dip.

This combination worked really well. The apple & pear slices brought a slightly sweet and chewy texture to the dish, and mixing it in with the wheatberry, beans & hummus made it all that more tasty. Apples and pears are loaded with fibre, making them great for the digestive system. A 20g (1 portion) of Urban Fruit Apples & Pears contains 2.4g of fibre – making it an excellent fibre boost to any meal.

Whilst preparing dinner, I also got a little creative in the kitchen and actually tested out my baking skills… (skills which rarely never get exercised)…

No-bake gluten-free oat, seed, raisin, strawberry & almond butter bars.

Voilà! Here it is… my first attempt at baking a no-bake granola bar. I’m impressed. And, it was so simple, I think that anyone can do it! Here’s how: throw some oats, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, whatever into a heated frying pan. Stir in something sticky (I used Agave Nectar) and I also scooped in a dollop of almond butter to help bind everything together. Once happy that everything looks stuck together, spread the mixture into a tray lined with cling film (easier to remove) and pop into the fridge over night to set. In the morning, breakfast – sorted.

Oh yeah… and the Urban Fruit Strawberries were a nice touch too!  Oh wait. What’s this, …more baking?!

Gluten-free Mesa Sunrise Cornflake Cakes made with Organic Green & Blacks 70% Dark Chocolate, Vanilla, Agave Nectar and mango chunks.

Day 2 and I’m really getting into this whole healthy baking thing thanks to Urban Fruit. I used some Gluten-free Mesa Sunrise corn flakes (multigrain cereal flakes made with organic corn, flax, quinoa and amaranth) heated a pan and stirred in a generous helping of Green & Blacks 70% dark cooking chocolate, agave nectar (Groovy Food makes a low GI version to keep blood sugar levels stable), vanilla extract and mango chunks. These were then put in the freezer and an hour later they were ready to share…

Family approved. And the mango chunks were a good choice which added a delicious chewy texture to a sweet healthy treat. The only Urban Fruit packet that I had not opened yet was the cherries… but that was soon  rectified with a dinner of oriental stir fry…

Pak choi, sweet sugarsnaps, courgettes, cashews, cherries, in a vegan ginger & toasted sesame seed dressing.

The dried fruit seemed to work with everything that I added it too. It’s always good to add a handful of additional health benefits to any meal, and cherries contain the lot. They are one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory fruits in nature, meaning that they have many healing properties, such as the prevention of arthritis. They work by protecting the heart and the brain as well as being an effective sleep aid due to the levels of melatonin (a chemical that regulates the body clock).

Thank you Urban Fruit for your generous samples – much enjoyment was had in experimenting with different dishes and actually trying my hand at some baking! If you would like to read more about Urban Fruit, you can check out their website here.

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