date | strawberryplum

Pancetta-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Date Jam

February 17, 2014 | posted by Sarah | 11 Comments

If you’ve ever found yourself at a party, standing over the buffet, shoveling bacon-wrapped dates into your mouth as quickly as you can instead of, you know, being social and whatnot, this recipe is for you. Well, you and me. Seriously, who cares about meeting and greeting when there’s something as good as porky dates to be had?

This recipe takes the flavors of one of our most beloved cocktail snacks and turns it into an entree. I made a sweet and savory jam with dates, onion, and mustard seed, smeared it on a butterflied pork tenderloin and wrapped it all up with strips of pancetta. After roasting, the meat is moist and just a touch rosy in the center, with crisp pancetta serving as the perfect counterpoint to the sweet date filling. It’s just like my favorite party snack but in a meal-sized portion I can enjoy without looking over my shoulder, wondering if I’m going to have to fight someone over the last date.

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Prosciutto Wrapped Almond Butter & Chèvre Dates

February 12, 2013 | posted by Sarah | 2 Comments

Don’t get me wrong; my boyfriend and I have got plenty in common.

We also have a few fundamental differences. Things I have a hard time getting past. Things at the very core of who we are. Things like he doesn’t like ants on a log.

Say what?!? Who doesn’t like ants on a log? Who is this man and what is this craziness? I wouldn’t think twice about them as a cocktail party snack or lining up a whole forest of fallen logs and calling it dinner. Not my Matt, though.

I know. We should seek counseling.

But in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I am reaching out. I’ve created an hors d’oeuvre that screams classy (for Mr. Fancy Pants) but actually caters to my inner desire to feast on ants on a log. They’re prosciutto wrapped almond butter & chèvre stuffed dates and they are totally addictive. Matt’ll dig them because I’ve replaced the raw celery with prosciutto. His much hated raisin-ants are now giant Medjool date-beetles. And the peanut butter has been swapped for almond butter and chèvre because, well, peanut butter and prosciutto just felt wrong. [Read more…]

Date, Coconut & Pecan Quinoa Muffins

January 21, 2013 | posted by Sarah | Leave a Comment

Now let’s get one thing straight; when it comes to muffins, I hardly discriminate. I like ’em all, from dense and cakey to light and delicate, most every muffin has its time and place in my world. But, if you’re going to press me for my favorite weekday version, it is, without a doubt, the humble quinoa muffin.

Why, you ask. Why some dowdy quinoa muffin when I could be biting into a fluffy blueberry-buttermilk beauty? It’s like choosing some mousey brunette over a blonde bombshell pageant queen.

Because quinoa muffins have got substance, integrity, loyalty. They’ll coax you out of bed with the promise of deep, nutty-grainy deliciousness and fuel you all through the first half of the day. They’re not going to merely flirt with you in the morning only to flake out on you halfway to lunch.

If you’ve been coming around here since the beginning, you probably already know about my affection for quinoa muffins. I’ve been known to hide squash and apples in them. This time around, I’m thinking quinoa muffin meets granola with big chunks of dates, copious coconut curls, and plenty of pecans.

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