2007 Riverside County Fair

National Date Festival 

Date Citrus Salad 

½ cup              Dates, Chopped & Pitted

1 bag               Mixed Salad Greens

2 each             Oranges, Peeled

1 Each             Pineapple, Peeled & Cored

2 Each             Kiwi Fruit, Peeled

                        Fresh mint for garnish 

Directions:

Slice oranges, chop pineapple and kiwi fruit. In large salad bowl, place the salad greens, add sliced and chopped fruit, and toss.  Add dates and mix in.  Garnish with mint.

 

Simply Cole Slaw

6 cups              Cabbage, shredded

4 Each              Medium Carrots, Shredded

1 Each              8-ounce Can Crushed Pineapple

1/3 cup             Deglet Noor Dates, Finely Chopped

1 cup                Mayonnaise

2 Tbs.               Ranch Dressing

1 pkg.               Splenda 

Directions: 

In a large mixing bowl, toss the cabbage, carrots, pineapple and dates.  In a small bowl, mix well mayonnaise, Ranch dressing and Splenda.  Pour over cabbage mixture, mix well and chill for 3 hours.

 

Date-Apple Slaw

Yield:  8  3 ½-cup Servings 

2 Each              Medium Apples, Chopped

1 Tbs.               Lemon Juice

¼ tsp.              Salt

1 cup                Dates, Chopped

1/2                   Small Head of Cabbage, Finely Chopped

¼ cup              Mayonnaise or Salad Dressing 

Directions: 

Mix apples with lemon juice in a large bowl.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix lightly.

 

Salmon Date Bruschetta on Garlic Toast

Yields:  16 appetizers or 8 entrée servings 

Bruschetta

8 ounce            Smoked Wild Salmon

1 cup                Hydrated Deglet Noor Dates, Chopped

1 cup                Sun Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil, Chopped

1 Each              8-ounce package Cream Cheese

1 Each              6-ounce Tub Crumbled Feta with Mediterranean Herbs

8 Each              Deglet Noor Dates, Pitted

 

Garlic Toast

½ cup              (1 cube) Butter

1 tsp.               Crushed Fresh Garlic

8 Slices            Wheat French Bread

Preparation: 

In a food processor, blend cream cheese, feta and pitted Deglet Noor dates until smooth and creamy.  Set aside. Chop re-hydrated dates and sun-dried tomatoes by hand.  Mix together and set aside. Make 8 pieces of toast by slicing bread into ½ inch width pieces and sauté in heated butter and 1 tsp. crushed garlic until toasted and firm. Spread toast with cheese mixture and top with salmon.  Cover with date and sun dried tomato mixture and serve.

 

Date Duck a L’Orange 

2 Each              Duck Breast Filets

                         Salt and Pepper to Taste

1 Each              Orange for juicing

½ cup               Deglet Noor Dates, thinly sliced

1 Each              15-ounce Can Whole Segmented Mandarin Orange, Light Syrup

¼ cup               Orange Juice

1 Tbs.               Canola Oil

¼ tsp.              Sugar

1 Tbs.               Red Wine vinegar

1 ½ Tbs.          Unsalted Butter, cold 

 

Preparation: 

Use a sharp knife to score the skin side of duck filet in two directions, about 20 slashes per direction.  Season both sides with salt and pepper. Zest the juicing orange into 2-inch strips.  Juice the orange.  In a saucepan, boil orange zest and dates in orange juice and juice from the can of  Mandarin oranges.  Boil until it is reduced to about 1 tablespoon. 

Heat a sauté pan with oil over medium to high heat.  Sauté filets, skin side down on medium heat for 10 minutes.  Turn filet over and cook for 1 ½ minutes on high heat.  Remove filets from pan and pour the fat out of the pan. Deglaze the pan with the ¼ cup orange juice.  Use a whisk and add date mixture to saucepan.  Add the sugar, vinegar and butter.  Simmer until the butter melts and reaches the desired consistency, always whisking to avoid butter separating. Thinly slice duck filets and orange on serving platter.  Spoon orange-date sauce over the filet and garnish with Mandarin orange segments.

 

Teriyaki Date Pork Loin with Desert Date Potatoes 

Pork Loins 

3 Each              Boneless Pork Loins, Trimmed

1 Tbs.               Margarine

¼ cup               Brown Sugar, Packed

¼ cup               Fresh Lemon Juice       

4 Each              Cloves Garlic, Chopped

½ tsp.              Black pepper, Coarsely Ground

1 cup                Hydrated Deglet Noor Dates,  Pitted and Chopped

1 cup                Water

1                       5-ounce Bottle Soy Sauce

¼ cup               Vegetable Oil

2 Tbs.               Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 

Preparation:

Preheat over to 450-degrees F. Sauté dates in margarine over medium heat until soft (7 minutes.)  In a food processor, process all remaining ingredients together except for the Olive Oil until smooth.  Pour over pork loins in a large food storage bag.  Refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.  Remove meat from marinade and reserve the marinade. Heat Olive Oil over medium heat in the bottom of a large cooking skillet.  Brown pork loins for about 3 minutes on each side.  Remove meat from skillet and place in 9x13 inch glass baking dish.  Cook on middle-low rack until no longer pink the center, about 15 minutes, turning halfway through cooking. While pork loins cook, bring reserved marinade to a boil over medium heat and keep warm over low flame. 

 

Desert Date Potato

6 -7 Each          Medium Yukon Gold Potatoes

½ cup               Salted Butter

2 tsp.                Salt

1 cup                 Hydrated Deglet Noor Dates, Pitted & Chopped

4-6 Tbs.            Water 

Preparation:

Clean and peel potatoes.  In a large put bring water to a boil over high heat.  Add potatoes and boil until soft (20-25 minutes). While potatoes boil, prepare dates by sautéing butter and dates over medium-low heat until thoroughly soft (10-15 minutes).

Using a mixer, mash the drained potatoes and add in buttered dates and salt.  If potatoes are sticky and pull apart, add necessary water until smooth.

 

Topping 

2 ½ cups          Panko Bread Crumbs, Coarse

1 ½ Tbs.          Margarine

1 ¼ cups          Coconut, Shredded

1 tsp.                Salt 

Using the margarine, toast bread crumbs and coconut together in skillet over medium-low heat (about 7-10 minutes).  Add salt, stirring occasionally.  Set aside. 

Assemble the dish: 

Place about 1 cup scoop of potatoes (or desired quantity) on serving plates.  Place pork loin on top and cover with warmed sauce (about ¼ cup per serving).  Sprinkle with bread crumb mixture.

 

Buttered Date Pecan Ice Cream

Yield: 1 quart or 8 servings

1 cup                Milk

1 cup                Dates

2 Tbs.               Unsalted Butter

½ cup               Pecans, Chopped

½ cup               Heavy Cream

½ cup               Brown Sugar

1 tsp.                Pure Vanilla Extract (alcohol free)

8 ounces           Mascarpone cheese

 

Preparation: 

Soak 1 cup of dates in 1 cup of milk for at least 20 minutes.  Squeeze dates and set aside.  Reserve infused date milk for later in recipe. In a saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter, ½ cup chopped pecans and ½ cup of milk- soaked dates.  Once butter melts, set mixture aside to cool. In microwavable bowl with lid, add 1 cup of the infused date milk, ½ cup of heavy cream, ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup of buttered date pecan mixture.  Microwave on high for 3 minutes, let sit with lid on for 10 minutes, let cool in refrigerator for 20 minutes. 

Once batch has cooled, strain, add 1 teaspoon pure, alcohol-free vanilla extract.  Add Mascarpone cheese to batch and mix with whisk for 2 minutes or until smooth. Add batch to ice cream machine and let churn.  Once ice cream has finished churning, add ½ cup of remaining buttered date pecan mixture and stir. Place ice cream in freezer for at least 3 to 4 hours to harden.  

 

Date Praline Pecan Cheesecake

Yield:  12 servings

1 Each              Graham Cracker Crust for 8-inch Spring Form Pan

3 Each              8-ounce packages Cream Cheese

1 ¼ cup            Brown Sugar

¼ cup               Heavy Cream

3 Each               Eggs

2 Tbs.               Flour

1 ½ tsp            Vanilla

2 cups               Dates, chopped

¾ cup               Sugar

¾ cup               Water

1 cup                 Pecans, Chopped

                         Melted White Chocolate for Drizzling

Preparation: 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Put cream cheese, brown sugar, cream, eggs, flour and vanilla in a blender and mix on medium speed until creamy.  Then beat 1 ½ minutes on high speed.  Pour into graham cracker crust. Bake at 325 degrees for about 55 minutes.  Cool. 

 

Topping:

Combine dates, sugar and water in saucepan.  Cook slowly until thick.  Stir in nuts.  Pour on top of cooled cheesecake and cool in refrigerator for 2 hours minimum.  Drizzle with melted white chocolate and serve. 

 

Date-Nut Pinwheel Cookies

Yield: about 50 cookies

2 cups               All-purpose Flour

1 ½ tsp.            Baking Powder

½ tsp.               Salt

1 tsp.                 Ground Cinnamon

½ tsp.               Ground Ginger

½ tsp.               Ground Nutmeg

2/3  cup             Salted butter, room temperature

1 cup                 Sugar

1 Each               Egg

1 tsp.                Vanilla Extract

 

Cookie dough preparation:

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Beat butter with an electric hand mixer until light.  Gradually beat in sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.  Beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add half of the flour mixture with an electric hand mixer at low speed.   Stir in the rest of the mixture with a large spoon.  Refrigerate for 1 hour.

 

Filling Ingredients:

1 cup                 Dates, Chopped

½ cup               Sugar

½ cup               Water

2 tsp.                Grated Lemon zest

½ cup               Walnuts, finely chopped

 

Filling Instructions:

Put dates, sugar and water in medium saucepan and cook over medium heart.  Use a potato masher, mash until the mixture is smooth.  Remove from heat.  Stir in the lemon zest and walnuts.  Cool completely.

 

Assembly:

Divide the dough in half.   Roll each half into 10 x 8 inch rectangles.  Spread half the filling evenly on each of the dough rectangles.  From the long side, roll each like a jellyroll.  Seal the edge with water.  Wrap each roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease one or more cookie sheet depending on how many cookies you want to bake. Use a shape knife, cut into ½ inch slices.  Cook the slices 8 to 10 minutes until lightly brown.

 

Chocolate Stuffed Dates

Yield: 28 stuffed dates

28 each            Large Medjool Dates, whole

½ cup              Sugar

¼ tsp.             Salt

1 Tbs.              Cornstarch

¼ cup              Unsweetened Cocoa powder

1 cup               Milk

2 each             Egg Yolks, beaten

1 Tbs.             Salted Butter, softened

2 tsp.              Almond Extract

1 cup               Sweetened flaked coco nut, lighted toasted

½ cup             Chopped Walnuts

                        Walnut pieces for decoration

 

Preparation:

Cut each Medjool date lengthwise along one side.   Remove the pit. Put sugar, salt, cornstarch and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan and whisk together.  Gradually add milk and continue to whisk.  Put the saucepan on medium heat and whisk constantly while bringing it to the boil.  Boil for 1 minute.  Take off the heat. Pour about 1/3 of the heated mixture into the egg yolks whisking the egg yolks vigorously.  Pour the heated egg yolk mixtures back into the saucepan and put on heat for 1 minute, but do not boil.  Take off the heat. Add butter, almond extract and whisk until incorporated. Add the coconut and chopped walnuts and mix together.  Pour the entire mixture into a medium bowl and put a layer of plastic wrap on top to keep air from the mixture.  Let it cool until most of the heat is gone. Take each date, spread it open, and add a generous amount of the chocolate mixture to the inside of the date.  Add one or more pieces of walnut to the center of the date on top of the filling for decoration. 

 

Date Pistachio Brittle

Yield: About 64 pieces

2 cups              Sugar

½ cup              Water

1 cup                Dates

1 tsp.               Baking Soda

1 cup                Light Corn Syrup

1 cup                Butter

2 cups              Pistachios, Salted  & Shelled

 

Preparation:

Grease two cookie sheets.  In heavy 5 to 6-quart saucepan, place sugar, corn syrup and water.  Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring frequently.  Stir in butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes until candy thermometer reaches 240 degrees F. Stir pistachio into sugar mixture; continue cooking, stirring frequently until candy thermometer reaches 300 degrees F.  Remove from heat, stir in making soda (mixture will be light and foamy), stir in dates. Pour candy onto cookie sheets.  With buttered spatula, spread until candy is about ¼ inch thick.  Cool completely, about1 hour.  Break into pieces. 

 

Praline Pumpkin Date Bread

Yield: 4 Loaves, about 16 slices

 

Praline Topping Ingredients

1/3 cup            Packed Light Brown Sugar

1/3 cup            Chopped Pecans

1 Tbs.              Salter Butter, melted

 

Pumpkin Date Bread Ingredients 

1 2/3 cups        Sugar

2/3 cup             Vegetable oil

2 tsp.                Vanilla

4 each               Eggs

15 ounces         Canned Pumpkin

3 cups               Bread Flour

2 tsp.                Baking Soda

1 tsp.                Ground Cinnamon

¾ tsp.               Salt

½ tsp.               Baking Powder

1 tsp.                Ground Allspice

1 ½ cups          Chopped Dates

1 ½ cups          Chopped Pecans

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Move oven rack to lower part of oven. Grease 4 small (5.75 x 3.25 x 2) loaf pans with solid vegetable shortening. Mix all praline topping ingredients until crumbly and set aside. In a large bowl, mix sugar, oil, vanilla, eggs and pumpkin using an electric hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. In a medium bowl, put flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda and allspice and whisk until completely mixed. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture.  Use a very large spoon to mix and fold for 3 minutes.  Add dates and pecan and mix for 1 minute more. Pour the mixture into the loaf pans.  Level the tops.  Sprinkle the tops with the praline topping. Bake for 1 hour.  Use a clean knife to test for doneness. Take out of the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.  Run a knife around the sides of the pans to loosen the loaves.  Put the loaves on a wire rack and let them cool for 1 hour before slicing.

 

Date & Nut Bread

Yield: 1 loaf

¾ cup              Chopped Walnuts

1 cup                Dates, pitted and chopped

1 ½ tsp.           Baking soda

½ tsp.              Salt

3 Tbs.               Shortening

¾ cup               Boiling Water

2 each               Eggs

1 tsp.                Vanilla

1 cup                 Sugar

1 ½ cup            Flour, sifted

 

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix first 4 ingredients with a fork.  Add shortening and water.  Let stand 20 minutes. Beat eggs with a fork.  Add vanilla, sugar and flour, beating with a fork.  Add date mixture, mixing just to blend. Pour into greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.  Bake for 1 hour or until done. 

 

Date-Nut Bread

Yield: 1 Loaf

1 ½ cup            Boiling Water

1 ½ cup            Dates, chopped

½ tsp.              Salt

½ cup               Brown Sugar

1 Each               Egg

1 Tbs.               Shortening

2 ½ cups          Flour, sifted

1 tsp.                Baking Soda

1 cup                 Nuts, chopped

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour water over dates and let cool. Mix the rest of the ingredients thoroughly.  Stir in dates and water.  Mix salt, flour and baking soda.  Blend together shortening, brown sugar and egg.  Add dry ingredients to shortening, egg and brown sugar, mix thoroughly.  Add dates and water and blend together.  Blend in nuts and mix all together. Pour in a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.  Let stand for 20 minutes.  Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until done in 350 degree F oven.