It’s almost Valentine’s Day and I know everyone just loves love, so let’s talk about dates (because I love them).
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And now, back to dates.
There are so so many health benefits to dates! They come from the date palm tree and they’re soft and sweet and they support brain health and are high in fiber AND antioxidants and they’re just the best.
Below are a list of my favorite date-related things and a recipe for chicken, date, and celery stew. Now everyone can have a date this February 14!!
My favorite dates!
Date Better: I discovered these at a local shop here and immediately bought some to try (even though they were kind of $ for TWO DATES). But, they were a cash register splurge and I went home and ate one and was like HOLY CRAP THESE ARE MAGICAL. They have all different flavors (cashew lime, peanut butter, almond java, and hazelnut praline) but I purchased the peanut butter crunch and as soon as I possibly could, I went back and bought a few more (2 for me, one to gift my dad). The peanut butter crunch are medjool dates that are covered in chocolate and cacao nibs and filled with natural peanut butter. I’ve tried them all at this stage and the pb is my personal favorite.
Spring and Mulberry: Date sweetened chocolate! To say I have a sweet tooth is an understatement. Chocolate is one of my all-time favorite things to eat, ever. I routinely polish off a bar in…no time at all (I won’t tell you how fast and what bar bc I don’t mess around and it’s embarrassing). Anyway, I am TRYING (read: not trying at all) to cut back on my sugar intake and the chocolate bars from Spring and Mulberry are GOOD. The dark chocolate is sweetened only with dates, then topped with things like fruits and nuts and spices. They’re great! I’ll be honest, I was a little suspect when I initially tried it, but it’s wonderful. Try it out! (please note that this is an affiliate link)
Rancho Meladuco Dates: This farm is located in the Coachella Valley, not far from Palm Springs, and all of their dates are hand-packed. You can send someone (or order for yourself!) a box of dates (or any other number of things from their online shop). I love these dates, highly recommend.
SPEAKING OF PALM SPRINGS! I was out there a couple years ago with a friend (hi Lili!) who took me to some super rad date farms. My mom recommended / highly encouraged us to get a date shake from somewhere out there and we did and it was delightful! Essentially, it’s soft serve ice cream / a milkshake with dates mixed in. So, if you’re a fan of soft serve (yep, me) and dates (hi, also me), then definitely seek one out if you need some cooling relief! A great dessert in the desert (had to, sorry). Here is a list of some spots from Palm Springs tourism.
RECIPE ALERT! CELERY AND DATE CHICKEN STEW!! The stew is a riff on an Iranian recipe for khoresh karafs (khoresh = stew, karafs = celery). Typically made with beef or lamb, I opted for chicken. I like to add chopped dates the last 10 minutes; they soften up and add such a wonderful sweetness to this simple dish. I also just love pairing celery with dates in salads, so this felt like a no-brainer for me. It’s super juicy and simple. ALSO! I try to use a less-expensive date for this recipe (like, not medjool). Dates like medjools are so plump and caramel-y and perfect, so I prefer to simply pop them into my mouth and eat them as-is.
CELERY AND DATE CHICKEN STEW
Serves 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: about 2 hours
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 head celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cups|1 liter chicken stock or water
1 cup|30 grams finely chopped parsley
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 ounces|170 grams dried and pitted dates, roughly chopped
steamed basmati rice, to serve
DIRECTIONS
Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add the chicken and cook, flipping once, until golden, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Add the onion to the saucepan and cook, stirring, until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Add the turmeric and garlic and cook 1 minute more, then stir in the celery. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then return the chicken to the pan along with the stock, parsley, and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the chicken is tender, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Add the dates and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes longer, then serve with steamed rice.
My favorite recipe for dates is sticky toffee pudding. Love a date shake from Charlie Brown Farms in SoCal
I have so many dates to use up before my brother sends me more dates for Ramadan! I know this is celery stew, but what could I substitute for the…celery? It’s the one veggie neither of my kids will eat.