Delicious Dates - the Fruit Kind that Is

Dates are a robust dried fruit; dense, sticky, chewy and incredibly sweet. While they're high in sugar they're chock full of lots of healthy nutrients. Dates are traditionally Middle Eastern fare, but they're not limited to a Moroccan themed dinner. While they're perfect for snacks or sweets, you can also use them in delicious appetizers and savory suppers.

Dates are high in fiber and also contain potassium, iron, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, and calcium. They have also been shown to help strengthen the muscles of the uterus in the final months of pregnancy, and to counter the affects of alcohol.

For creative and tasty appetizers stuff your dates. Choose large, plump dates for these types of dishes. Stuff them with a variety of fillings, such as; peanut butter mixed with cinnamon and honey, Nutella and chopped hazelnuts, cream cheese and/or mascarpone cheese mixed with coconut flakes and flavored with orange zest, or goat cheese mixed with honey and toasted, chopped walnuts. You can serve them at room temperature or quickly broil them in the oven.

Make a sticky date paste. You can puree dates with a little bit of hot water or orange juice in a food processor and use this paste for lots of recipes. Date paste makes a delicious filling for sugar thumbprint cookies or other filled cookies. You can also use it to moisten and reduce the amount of fat and sugar in muffins or quick breads, and it packs in lots of extra flavor. Swirl it into lowfat vanilla yogurt or slightly softened frozen yogurt. You could use it in creating complexly flavored sauces also, much the way that tamarind is used in Indonesian cuisine.

Roast an exotic date stuffed pork tenderloin. Pork and fruit taste really great together. First, sauté diced garlic, minced onions, chopped tart apples and diced dates together. After the apples are slightly soft add some salt, a dusting of fresh grated nutmeg, orange zest and a splash of white wine. Let it cook until the liquid is gone, stir in a nice chunk of crumbled goat cheese or mascarpone cheese and cool down to room temperature. Salt and pepper a butterflied pork tenderloin. Spread the filling throughout the middle, roll up and tie off. Roast at 375 until the temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Dates are delicious little nuggets of dried fruit that can transform any type of food into something special. They add natural sugar and balance to sweet and savory dishes alike. What's not to love about these sweet nuggets of nutrition?