First of all:
GO YANKEES!
Sorry, couldn’t help myself.
Moving on…
My sister and I have joked recently about our friends’ and acquaintances’ reactions upon inspecting the contents of our kitchen. Some have deemed my plethora of nuts and dried fruit a surplus of “snack food.” Some have commented on the almond milk and Greek yogurt as an “interesting” supply. A good friend recently smiled and told me, “You’ve just got bags and bags of healthy food.”
I like to think of my cabinets as those of an amateur chef, and any good chef would always start with the basics. On the top shelf of my cabinet, there are two boxes: cereal and granola; otherwise, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything with an ingredients list longer than one. When the choices in the kitchen are basic and whole, eating healthfully becomes quite simple.
One of my simple essentials is dried fruit. Dipping dates or dried plums [er, prunes] into the peanut butter jar is one of my favorite pre-exercise snacks. I consider raisins to be a necessary addition to anything involving pumpkin. And if you cook and haven’t bookmarked this recipe with dried figs, well, you’re missing out on an extravaganza of flavor. I don’t use a large amount of sweeteners, but throwing dried fruit into a dish is an easy way to add some very natural sugars.
Recently, I was given the opportunity to sample a couple new dried fruits, courtesy of Kopali Organics.
First, a quick note: I should stress that I’d never sample a product I wouldn’t eat normally – you all know that the foods I choose are almost entirely unprocessed. The bulk of my groceries come from the farmer’s market, not from grocery aisles; I don’t eat frozen meals or dinners that come from a packet or can. [There's nothing wrong with this; there happen to be some boxed soups or frozen meals that have excellent ingredients; I've just never eaten that way].
So, I don’t want anyone to think that this blog will become an endorsement for certain businesses. That being said, there are some wonderful companies out there who focus on simple and nutritious products, on making whole foods widely available, and on doing good for the environment. Kopali is one of those, and their mantra of supporting both the body and the earth immediately interested me.
My first taste went sweet with their superfood mix, which includes dried mulberries, goji berries, pistachios, and cacao nibs. Mulberries may be my new favorite fruit – their flavor is complex with just a touch of sweetness, a perfect addition to my morning banana oats, or in this case, my daily yogurt and granola. As a bonus, they’re basically bursting with health benefits.
Oikos is better with mulberries mixed in. Yes, I’m still battling my flavor and principle organic dairy issues.
I switched to the the savory route with dried mango, chopping and soaking some in water for a couple hours, which provided a perfect stand-in when I didn’t have fresh mango on hand. It was just the colorful ingredient I needed for the most vibrant stir fry I’ve ever made:
In the rainbow-colored mix:
- red cabbage
- carrot
- rehydrated dried mango
- edamame
- kale
- onion
- arame
All were sautéed with bits of sesame oil, garlic, ginger, tamari, rice vinegar, and sesame seeds. Pleasing for my tastebuds, my eyes, and my body – in other words, an ideal meal.
Thanks to Kopali for adding some super-healthy sweetness and a bit of new flavor to my meals. They were a welcome addition to my store of “interesting” ingredients.
What’s your favorite dried fruit? Do you prefer it sweet, savory, or on its own?
Related posts:
That stir-fry is killing me. hello, yum.
I love the Kopali brand!
i love dried fruit…its my favorite thing ever! :) any dried fruit i love. okay my fav. dried fruit i could write a novel hehe…but i’d say raisins, then dates, then prunes, then figs. lol..love it all!
i love putting raisins into indian spiced rice dishes and prunes too…also dried cranberries on avocado sandwiches and of course a bit of dried fruit always makes my oats that much more amazing! recently i am loving goji berries and raw cocoa nib together, such a great duo! and agreed PB or AB and prunes is the bEST! :)
xx
maya
love dried fruits! my favorite dried fruits are raisins, dates and figs ohh and prunes, ha i have an obsession with them lol… but i dont think there is any kind i dont like, love them all.
love that mulberry goji pistachio cocoa nib mix ahhh looks perfect! and in oikos YUM! :) i must look into this Kopali brand never seen it, but looks fantastic. :)
dried mango, i have some, i should make your fab recipe…its been sitting in my pantry for a while lol.
xx
Eliza
I love medjool dates. Their texture is a dessert in itself, but I also love it with nut butters and in my Swiss musesli, soaked in the yogurt overnight. I also love dried strawberries, especially paired with peanuts. It’s like a pb+j snack!
my gosh, your snacks/stirfries/meals/etc. look so delicious. my family and friends comment on my food a lot too. it used to both me but now i just take pride in the fact that i eat very clean and healthfully. my favorite dried fruits are cranberries and prunes! i enjoy them very, very sweet :)
I love sweet! Hey those dishes look amazing. I’ve been trying to find that fig dish forever on your blog…most have missed it. Thanks for the link..will make it this weekend!
xoxo
Maggie
First off, I love reading your blog– you offer such incredible insight and inspiration, so thank you!
Secondly, I’m making stir fry for dinner tonight and I think I know the missing ingredient that will enhance the meal to ‘absolutely fabulous’- dried mango :)
I love many kinds of dried fruits. I know many people don’t enjoy the blueberries, but I think they’re fabulous! Also, TJs dried mango tastes like candy, Mmm.
I hope you have a glorious afternoon, gorgeous!
Becca
so much goodness– both in words and eats! oh how i love your posts– sorry if i say this a lot but your blogs is one of the ones i enjoy most!!
first of all– i never knew that oikos was the ONLY organic greek yogurt brand– thanks for the info :)
hmmm dried fruits?? i love apricots, dates, and bananas :) oh and raisins hehe ! i definitely prefer the sweet vs savory!!
have a lovely day leslie :)
Love that rainbow dish!! Wow, so pretty!
I like figs. And I only like dried fruits in a savory dish. I don’t really eat them by themselves, and detest them in sweet things.
♥ ~ dried pineapple :) & cherries… & mango… & bananas…. errr, well most fruit, in dried & regular form hehe.
btw i ate an apple/hummus sandwich yesterday (looked back on your past entry) too! haha, its such an awesome combo. i love love love fruit
GO YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the awesome food tips. :)