Yields 1-1 1/2C (about)
Happy Anniversary Guaya Gourmet!
Somehow we are at our first year anniversary! Last year when I began blogging here, Claire was 5 months old and spent most of her time in the kitchen with me in her carrier. Now, she spends her time climbing on and off the footstool, opening drawers and cabinets and subsequently hiding my measuring cups and spoons, and helping me by mixing or adding ingredients. Oh, and we also live in a foreign country. A lot has changed.
Other surprises over the past year include; gathering quite a following (THANK YOU for reading and following!), developing relationships with other bloggers via social media networks, learning a ton about social media and how useful it is, learning and working with the developing taste buds and moods of a baby foodie, and being consistently amazed about the people I meet as a result of the food that inspires and delights me.
It has been a fruitful and eventful year. And with every meal that has made it to these pages and all the meals that haven’t, we have been grateful.
That was my toast. Now on to the real reason you’re here.
For our anniversary blog post, Claire and I thought it would be most logical to write about a local ingredient. We miss maple syrup (along with kale) and while it is available here, it is prohibitively expensive and well, not very local. Enter dates!
Dates are incredibly nutritious and the best part about this syrup is that it is a whole food. You are getting the sweetener without any of the fiber removed so it is much easier assimilated and processed by the body and your body doesn’t get a shock from the sugar.
What makes dates special? FIBER, POTASSIUM, B-COMPLEX VITAMINS, and ANTIOXIDANTS do! Let’s do a quick recap on why we should care about these characteristics.
Fiber: Soluble fiber (remember the peas?) dissolves and becomes gel-like traveling slowly through your digestive tract, makes you feel fuller and longer and it binds to cholesterol lingering around your body and escorts it out.
Potassium: A mineral that is critical for muscle contraction. So, dates are especially good if you’ve got an exercise regime you adhere to. But, even if you don’t, you know what else is a muscle…your heart! “A critical electrolyte, potassium allows our muscles to move, our nerves to fire, and our kidneys to filter blood. The right balance of potassium literally allows the heart to beat.”¹
B-Complex Vitamins: This is a team of vitamins that are essential for many bodily functions such as making blood cells, maintaining blood glucose levels and they are also key for mind-related health such as mood, memory and stress. Click here for more detailed and fascinating info.
Antioxidants: I love these. Dates have polyphenols which are particularly effective at protecting the body, destroying free radicals roaming around. We’re all vulnerable to oxidative stress so you can’t ever really get too many antioxidants!
You can use this syrup in your baking, as a topping on pancakes, waffles, granola, oatmeal, yogurt, in your smoothies or even as a sweetener for your morning coffee. However you use it, enjoy every delicious minute of it!
You’ll need:
12-15 pitted dates, Medjool or Halawii
1-1 1/2 C water- I had some coconut water so I added that, too.
3-4 (slightly crushed) cardamom pods
To make:
1. Place pitted dates and cardamom in a bowl or jar and add just enough water to cover dates. Let sit for at least 4 hours or as in my case, overnight.
2. Remove cardamom pods and blend water and dates until syrup forms. If you want, you could run it through a sieve or cheesecloth for a finer consistency.
3. That’s it! It will keep refrigerated for 2-3 weeks.
4. Enjoy!