Everyday Food: Just add dates
Today, dates are enjoying a popular resurgence, thanks in part to their reputation as a healthier alternative sweetener to refined sugar, because they are rich in minerals and fiber.
But dates have a place in savory cooking too, especially in the popular Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, as well as in the raw-food movement.
The following recipes offer fresh takes on the fruit and can be made with easy-to-find date varieties. An orange salad with dates, mint and chiles reinvents a classic Mediterranean citrus and mint salad, with feta providing a salty, creamy counterpoint.
And, a spice-rubbed rack of lamb serves up well with a colorful pilaf of basmati rice, dates, pomegranate seeds and pistachios.
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Know your dates
There are thousands of named date varieties. Here’s a list of some main varieties:
1. Khadrawi: a classic soft variety, with a rich flavor that’s not too sweet.
2. Dayri: strong flavor with a hint of vanilla.
3. Amber: a dry date with a pretty color and a sweet cinnamon flavor.
4. Yellow barhi: can be eaten not fully ripe and has the crisp texture of an apple and a flavor that is fresh and slightly astringent.
5. Zahidi: sometimes known as the “butter date” for its pale color and subtle flavor.
6. Medjool: known as the “queen of dates” for its large size, pillowy texture and very sweet, strong flavor.
7. Deglet noor: a chewy and medium-sweet dry date with a nutty, complex flavor evocative of brown sugar.
Sources: Flying Disc Ranch (www.flyingdiscranch.com) and Oasis Date Gardens (www.oasisdate.com).
Orange salad with dates, mint and chiles
Serves 4
Fresh, sweet, and spicy: Dates and chiles reinvent a classic Mediterranean citrus and mint salad, while feta provides a salty, creamy counterpoint.
- 5 oranges, such as a mix of navel and blood oranges
- 6 large dry dates, such as deglet noor or amber, quartered and pitted
- 2 ounces feta, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 5 sprigs mint
- 1/2 small chile, such as serrano (ribs and seeds removed, if less heat is desired), thinly sliced into rings
Remove peel and pith from oranges with a sharp knife. Slice into thin rounds; remove seeds. Arrange on a platter with dates and cheese. Drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with mint and chile; serve.
Nutritional analysis per serving: 239 calories, 13 grams fat, 29 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, 13 milligrams cholesterol, 159 milligrams sodium, 5 grams dietary fiber, 48 percent of calories from fat.
Spice-rubbed rack of lamb and herbed rice with dates and pomegranates
Serves 4
- 2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
- 1 8-rib rack of lamb (about 2 pounds)
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon safflower oil
- Herbed rice with dates and pomegranate, for serving
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toast all seeds in a small skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Let cool. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.
2. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in oil. Sear lamb until golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter.
3. Pour off fat from pan; wipe clean. Pat seeds all over lamb. Return to pan. Roast in oven until a thermometer inserted in thickest part (avoiding bone) registers 130 degrees for medium-rare, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; let rest 10 minutes before slicing between bones into chops and serving with rice.
Nutritional analysis per serving: 347 calories, 32 grams fat, 1 gram carbohydrates, 14 grams protein, 67 milligrams cholesterol, 55 milligrams sodium, trace dietary fiber, 83 percent of calories from fat.
Herbed rice with dates and pomegranate
Serves 6
- 1 cup basmati rice
- Coarse salt
- 1 slice peeled fresh ginger, 1/4-inch-thick
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh dill
- 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1/2 pomegranate)
- 1/3 cup pistachios, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
- 6 large soft dates, such as medjool or zahidi, pitted and coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1. Bring rice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, ginger and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until all of water is absorbed, 16 to 17 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Fluff with fork. Remove and discard ginger.
2. Transfer rice to a large bowl; let cool 5 minutes. Stir in dill, pomegranate seeds, pistachios, dates, oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and serve.
Nutritional analysis per serving: 214 calories, 9 grams fat, 31 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, no cholesterol, 21 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber, 36 percent of calories from fat.
This story was originally published February 1, 2016 at 12:20 PM with the headline "Everyday Food: Just add dates."