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This sweet will become one of my favourites. Being light and refreshing, mastic blends incredibly well with the special, exotic flavour of the passion fruit.
While I enjoy mastic’s flavour very much, I don’t use it as often in my recipes and I promise you that this will change, as it is both particularly tasty and rich in benefits.
In this recipe, I used mastic “tears”: grains that I beat using the pestle. If you find mastic oil, it may be easier to use.
The cream is made of silken Tofu Clearspring which I often use in my recipes to replace cream and believe it has excellent results for creams and mousses. The tofu is a soy product and a complete source of protein. It is also particularly rich in iron and calcium. Mastic and mastic oil contain at least 70 substances with numerous pharmaceutical properties:
- anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties: Mastic and its derivatives can fight many pathogenic bacteria. Furthermore, chewing mastic originating in Chios stimulates the functioning of salivary glands and increases saliva secretion, which contributes to the self-purification of the mouth. Its unique composition makes it a preventative and possibly a therapeutic agent against dental decay. Additionally, its antimicrobial effect contributes in neutralizing microorganisms which cause dental plaque formation.
Chios mastic has been used in ancient times as a drug for gastrointestinal disorders. A large number of studies prove its beneficial effects on the digestive system.
Chios mastic is effective against Helicobacter pylori. A study by Greek scientists showed improvement and reduction of inflammations in patients with mild to moderate activity of Crohn’s disease (chronic digestive tract inflammatory disease that can affect any part of it) after administrating Chios mastic powder in capsule form for four weeks (2.2 gr per day).
Chios mastic appears to have a protective effect on the heart and vessels, as studies show that its consumption reduces levels of cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and lipoprotein while at the same time collectively protecting LDL cholesterol from oxidation (an essential process for the creation of atherosclerotic plaque in the vessels). (source http://mastixi.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/blog-post.html)
Manganese, Selenium and Phosphorus. I would advise you to buy from a good organic farming brand since you need to be cautious with soybean as it is the number one genetically modified component. I personally trust this company.
Ingredients for 6 servings
– 2 Silken Tofu clearspring boxes
– 4 tsp of sweetener (maple syrup, pecemezi, agave, or brown rice syrup)
– 6 mastic “tears” or 1 tsp of mastic oil
– 6 passion fruits
For the panna cotta:
– Crush the mastic “tears” using a pestle until they become a think powder
– Strain the tofu in a towel until the fluids are removed
– Add all the cream ingredients (tofu, mastic, sweetener) into a food processor and beat until all the ingredients are mixed and become a delicate cream.
– Cut the passion fruits and empty their interior with a spoon.
– Put the cream in jars and garnish with passion fruit seeds
– Refrigerate for about 2 hours