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–+ servings

Fancy Dates

Fancy Dates stuffed with creamy goat cheese on a bed of crunchy gluten free quinoa, topped with pickled shallots, drizzled with tangy pomegranate syrup and finished with fresh herbs are a symphony of flavors and textures.
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 227kcal

Ingredients  

Pickled Shallots:

  • ¼ cup water - boiling hot
  • 2 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 medium shallot - trimmed & thinly sliced

Quinoa Crunch:

  • ½ cup chicken broth - or vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • pinch fine sea salt
  • ¼ cup quinoa

Stuffed Dates:

  • 12 oz pitted Medjool dates
  • 4 oz goat cheese
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chives or thyme leaves - finely chopped

Pomegranate Syrup:

  • 1 cup 100% pure pomegranate juice
  • 2 tablespoon granulated sugar

Instructions

For the Pickled Shallots:

  • Bring the water to a boil in a pyrex or other heat proof cup in the microwave.
  • In a small mixing bowl, combine the salt and sugar. Carefully pour the hot water on top and stir until both are dissolved.
  • Add the vinegar and shallots, stirring to cover the shallots completely with the brine. Set aside to let it cool and pickle the shallots.

For the Quinoa Crunch:

  • Bring chicken stock, olive oil and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the quinoa, then turn the heat to low. Cover and let the quinoa cook through, about 15 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a small sheet pan with parchment.
  • Spread the cooked quinoa out in a thin layer on the sheet pan. Bake the quinoa for 20-25 minutes, stirring once or twice to brown evenly. Remove from the oven and let cool at room temp.

For the Stuffed Dates:

  • Stuff the dates with a small spoonful of goat cheese, laying them out on a plate. If the date is large, split it in half. When all of the dates are stuffed with cheese, cover the plate with plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge until really to plate it all up.

For the Pomegranate Syrup:

  • In a small saucepan, combine the pomegranate juice and sugar and bring it to a boil.  Let it continue to boil and reduce in half, then turn off the heat and let it cool slightly.

To Plate the Dish:

  • Plate the dish by spreading the crunchy quinoa on the serving platter.  Place the goat cheese stuffed dates on top. Then add the pickled shallots to each date. Generously drizzle the pomegranate syrup on the platter. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and more crunchy quinoa if you’d like. Serve right away.

Notes

The pomegranate syrup and crunchy quinoa can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored covered at room temp. The pickled shallots can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored covered in the fridge.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Fancy Dates
Amount per Serving
Calories
227
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
5
g
8
%
Saturated Fat
 
2
g
13
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
0.4
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Cholesterol
 
7
mg
2
%
Sodium
 
693
mg
30
%
Potassium
 
416
mg
12
%
Carbohydrates
 
44
g
15
%
Fiber
 
3
g
13
%
Sugar
 
37
g
41
%
Protein
 
4
g
8
%
Vitamin A
 
227
IU
5
%
Vitamin C
 
0.5
mg
1
%
Calcium
 
56
mg
6
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.