Dates are a very popular fruit in Dubai and many other areas of the Middle East. Dates are very sweet and have a high sugar content, but also contain many essential vitamins and minerals. Plus they are a good source of antioxidants and phytonutrients.
When picking out dates at the grocery store, look for those that are fresh, unwrinkled, single-colored (caramel hue). Older dates may be drier, have wrinkled skin, and may have some paler areas on the skin. These are still ok to eat, but will not be as juicy, and will have a chewier texture. You may need to chop off the very dry, pale areas for better overall taste and texture.
To eat, be sure to remove the elongated oval-shaped pit on the inside. The rest is edible. Dates can be used in baked goods: cookies, muffins, breads; salads; covered in chocolate; added to fruit salad; and used in many savory dishes.
I decided to make a chicken and date salad. This had a good combination of sweet and savory. Many chicken salads get their sweetness from added sugars. In this recipe, I only used dates and yogurt to add sweetness. Many recipes also often use full fat mayonnaise and/or sour cream to add creaminess. However, plain fat-free Greek yogurt is a good, nutritious substitute. See recipe below.
What you'll need:
- 1 chicken breast
- 6 dates, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
What to do:
1. Fill a medium sauce pan with water about 3 inches deep. Heat water over high heat on the stove and let come to a boil. Add the chicken breast and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pot. Cook about 8-10 minutes until done. Check for doneness by cutting the chicken in half crosswise. If there is any pink- it is NOT done and will need to cook for longer. If the chicken is cooked, place on a plate or drying rack to cool.
2. While the chicken is cooking and cooling, combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.
3. When the chicken has cooled, pull the chicken apart with your hands and/or a fork. Pull apart to create small strings of chicken. When done, add chicken to the yogurt mixture. Serve cold. You can wrap in a leaf of lettuce or top on some delicious bread. Recipe makes 3 servings.
Nutrition Information per serving:
63 calories, 0g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 16g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 6g protein
Some variations:
- use fewer dates to make it less sweet
- add celery to add some crunch and some bitter flavor
- add slivered almonds for crunch and a bit of nutty flavor
- use less vinegar and lemon juice to decrease acidity and tartness
When picking out dates at the grocery store, look for those that are fresh, unwrinkled, single-colored (caramel hue). Older dates may be drier, have wrinkled skin, and may have some paler areas on the skin. These are still ok to eat, but will not be as juicy, and will have a chewier texture. You may need to chop off the very dry, pale areas for better overall taste and texture.
To eat, be sure to remove the elongated oval-shaped pit on the inside. The rest is edible. Dates can be used in baked goods: cookies, muffins, breads; salads; covered in chocolate; added to fruit salad; and used in many savory dishes.
I decided to make a chicken and date salad. This had a good combination of sweet and savory. Many chicken salads get their sweetness from added sugars. In this recipe, I only used dates and yogurt to add sweetness. Many recipes also often use full fat mayonnaise and/or sour cream to add creaminess. However, plain fat-free Greek yogurt is a good, nutritious substitute. See recipe below.
What you'll need:
- 1 chicken breast
- 6 dates, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
What to do:
1. Fill a medium sauce pan with water about 3 inches deep. Heat water over high heat on the stove and let come to a boil. Add the chicken breast and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pot. Cook about 8-10 minutes until done. Check for doneness by cutting the chicken in half crosswise. If there is any pink- it is NOT done and will need to cook for longer. If the chicken is cooked, place on a plate or drying rack to cool.
2. While the chicken is cooking and cooling, combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.
3. When the chicken has cooled, pull the chicken apart with your hands and/or a fork. Pull apart to create small strings of chicken. When done, add chicken to the yogurt mixture. Serve cold. You can wrap in a leaf of lettuce or top on some delicious bread. Recipe makes 3 servings.
Nutrition Information per serving:
63 calories, 0g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 16g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 6g protein
Some variations:
- use fewer dates to make it less sweet
- add celery to add some crunch and some bitter flavor
- add slivered almonds for crunch and a bit of nutty flavor
- use less vinegar and lemon juice to decrease acidity and tartness
I was going to ask you to find some savory vegetarian date recipes, when I remembered that Mike Jones lacks understanding/taste buds and does not like dates. So this is a good recipe. More date recipes. Bring on the dates! Hooray for dates!
ReplyDeleteI will work on some savory recipes a well
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