American cooking is a combination of all that is good from everywhere with an added dash of creative spontaneity. Who else would layer yogurt, kiwifruit, apples, peanut butter and granola? The green kiwifruit was first called a Chinese Gooseberry and was actually first grown in China. The Chinese Gooseberry seeds were brought to New Zealand. Kiwi “berries” grow on a vine-like plant in New Zealand and were given the “kiwi” name because they also resemble kiwi bird eggs. There is also a kiwifruit with a golden color and a strawberry and mango flavor. Making homemade granola is not as difficult as it sounds and it tastes so much better than the granola that has been sitting on the grocery store shelves for weeks. You may want to make the granola a few days in advance.


Granola

    1 ½ cup thick rolled oats
    ⅓ cup dark brown sugar
    ½ cup wheat germ
    1 cup fat-free milk powder
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    ½ cup butter
    ¼ cup vanilla syrup
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peanut Butter yogurt

    2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter or soy butter
    2 (6-ounce) fat-free vanilla yogurt cups

Fruit Layers
 
    4 gold or green kiwifruit, flesh scooped out and diced
    2 Braeburn apples, peeled and finely chopped

Garnish

    1 gold or green kiwifruit, flesh scooped out and sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚.

2. To make the granola, take out a 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking
    dish. Stir the oats, sugar, wheat germ, milk powder and
    cinnamon together in the baking dish.

3. In a 1-quart saucepan, heat the butter, vanilla syrup and vanilla
    extract. Pour this sauce over the oat mixture and then stir well
    so the dry ingredients are well coated. Spread out evenly and
    then bake uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring at least five
    times during the process.

4. When the mixture is lightly browned, pour out into a
    large plate or pan.

5. To make the yogurt, mix the peanut butter and vanilla
    yogurt together.

6. Take out serving glasses (so you can see the layers) and layer
    the chopped apples and diced kiwi, yogurt and granola twice.
    Then garnish with kiwifruit.

    Recipe Note: To find the gold kiwi variety go to www.zespri.com.
    To peel a kiwi, cut the kiwifruit in half and then take a tablespoon
    and run it around the outside of the fruit, between the flesh and
    the peel. Scoop out the fruit and then you can slice it very easily.

    Variation: Use strawberries in place of the apples and use
     lemon yogurt in place of the peanut butter yogurt layer.

    Hint: You can also serve the granola on its own with raisins,
    chopped dried apricots and sliced almonds or add your
    own favorite ingredients and serve it with milk.

    Makes 4 servings