dates

Christmas Day Menu for All

December 16, 2011

We’re satisfying a host of appetites and plan to feed a crowd. With one oven, we’ll be able to cook the salmon first – as it is served room temperature – while we pop the tenderloin into the oven. This is what we are thinking about making.

Two Mains:
Roast Tenderloin with Creamy Mustard Sauce
Slow-Roasted Salmon

Two Sides:
No-Cream Gratin of Potatoes and Caramelized Onions
Sformato di spinaci (Baked Spinach)

Two Salads:
Wild Mushroom Salad with Soft Herbs and Shaved Pecorino
Salad of Watercress and Seasoned Apple

One Dessert:
Heavenly Date-Studded Sticky Toffee Pudding

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Coconut-Date Batido

January 13, 2011


Serves 1-2

1 c. milk
6 to 8 dates, pitted and quartered
1/4 to 1/2 c. shredded unsweetened dried coconut
Heaping spoonful of flax meal
about 8 ice cubes

Combine the ingredients in a blender and whiz on the lowest setting for 2 minutes or so. After the ice is fairly broken up, switch to a higher speed (purée or liquefy) for 3 to 4 minutes. Letting your blender run this long ensures that you won’t be stuck sucking on big ice cubes and that you’ll incorporate enough air to make the drink fluffy, so it feels like a proper frozen drink. Pour into a glass or a to-go thermos and hit the ground running.

Pantry Note: Other recipe batido combinations found in Urban Pantry include Banana Milk and Fig & Flower.   Adding fresh herbs or flower leaves to batidos is not only delicious, but adds a new flavor for your palate. Try mint, chamomile flowers, scented geranium, or garden roses. Flax meal is used as an addition of fiber.  It is a great way to incorporate flax into your diet. Of course, feel free to omit it if you prefer.

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Heavenly Date-Studded Sticky Toffee Pudding

December 9, 2008

Someone we know (wink) recently declared this their new favorite dessert. This hassle-free British indulgence consists of a light moist sponge cake flavored with finely chopped dates and topped with a decadent toffee sauce. For a wickedly delicious Christmas-time treat, serve warm with whipped cream or melted vanilla ice cream.

Serves 6-8

This recipe is from Classic Home Desserts: A Treasury of Heirloom and Contemporary Recipes from Around the World by Richard Sax.

1 c. plus 1 Tbls. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
a pinch each of ground ginger, cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon
3/4 c. (about 4 oz.) finely chopped dried pitted dates
7 Tbls. unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
1 lg. egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 c. boiling water
1/4 c. plus 1 Tbls. packed light brown sugar
2 Tbls. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with a rack in the center. Butter a 9- to 10- inch pie pan or oval gratin dish; set aside.

Sift 1 cup flour and baking powder into a small bowl with salt and ground spices; set aside. In a small-size heatproof bowl, toss chopped dates with remaining 1 tablespoon of flour.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat together 4 tablespoons butter and 3/4 cup sugar (natural or white) until light and fluffy. Lower speed to medium-low; beat in egg and about 1/4 of the flour mixture. Mix until smooth. Add remaining flour mixture and mix just until incorporated.

Sprinkle baking soda and vanilla extract over dates. Add boiling water and stir to combine. Add date mixture to the batter, beating until well blended. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.

Bake until set and well-browned on top, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove pudding from oven. Preheat the broiler, with a rack about 4 inches from heat source.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, brown sugar, and cream to a simmer. Simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. Pour topping over hot pudding.

Broil pudding until topping bubbles, watching carefully to prevent burning, about 1-2 minutes. Cool pudding briefly on a wire rack. Serve warm.

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Date Pie

February 8, 2007

Reprinted from Saveur

Serves 6-8

1 tsp. butter
5 Tbls. flour
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. pitted chopped dates (medjool, halawy or deglet noor)
1 c. shelled walnuts, chopped
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9″ glass pie dish with butter, dust with 1 Tbls. of flour, tapping out excess, and set aside. Combine sugar, baking powder, and 3 Tbls. of flour in a medium bowl. Place dates and remaining 1 Tbls. flour into a small bowl and combine until dates are evenly coated with flour. Add walnuts, mix well, and set aside.

Put eggs into a medium mixing bowl and beat well. Stir in date-and-walnut mixture. Add flour-sugar mixture and stir until well combined. Pour batter into prepared dish and bake until toothpick or fork inserted in center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream, if you like.

Photo: These are medjool date palms growing in Mecca, CA.

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Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Spanish Almonds and Chevre

December 12, 2006

(adapted from Saveur)

Serves 6

12 large moist dates, such as Medjool
12 toasted Spanish almonds
1 oz softened chevre or goat cheese
6 slices bacon, halved crosswise

Preheat oven to 500.

Pit dates, careful to tear them open as little as possible. Set aside.

Stuff one almond into each date.

Put softened chevre into a Ziploc sandwich bag, squeezing the cheese to one bottom corner. Snip off 1/8-inch teeny bit from that corner and pipe cheese into each date.

Wrap each stuffed date with halved bacon.

Place dates on baking sheet, seam side down, and bake until bacon is crisp and golden brown, about 6-8 minutes.

Serve warm.

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