Deliciously Ella's Date Recipes for National Date Day

Delve into Deliciously Ella's date recipes for National Date Day 2015!

As one of her favourite ingredients, Ella Woodward has come up with a selection of easy date recipes using Beloved Date Nectar and medjool dates for the inaugural National Date Day on August 18th. Recent studies have show that the humble little date, long neglected the the back of the cupboard in the UK, may actually provide an array of incredible nutritional and protective benefits, including helping to fight against liver damage, strokes and heart attacks due to the high level of antioxidants and phytochemicals. What's more, they're also delicious, naturally sweet and incredibly easy to bake with!

Date and Pecan Loaf

Makes one loaf:

• 1 and 1⁄2 cups of buckwheat flour (300g) 1⁄2 cup apple puree (200g)
• 10 tbsp BeLOVeD Date Nectar
• 8 medjool dates (150g)
• 100ml almond milk 1 tsp cinnamon 60g pecans

Method

Preheat the oven to 140c.Pit the dates and cut them into small chunks. Use your hands to break up the pecans so that they are a similar size to the dates. Then add all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Use a little coconut oil to grease a loaf tin, and then pour in the mixture. Bake in the oven for 1hr 15mins then allow to set for about 10 minutes before eating hot or cold.

Date and Chia Pudding

Serves 1

• 4 tablespoons of chia seeds
• 250ml of almond milk
• 1 teaspoon of BeLOVeD Date Nectar 2 tablespoons of yoghurt

Method Place the chia seeds, date syrup and yoghurt in a jar and then pour the milk in. Stir everything together before placing a lid on the jar. Store the jar in the fridge overnight (or for 6-8 hours), during this time the liquid will be absorbed and the pudding will form a jelly-like consistency.  

Date Shake

Serves 1

• 1 ripe banana
• 250ml almond milk
• 2 tablespoons of almond butter
• 2 tablespoons of BeLOVeD Date Nectar 1/4 of a teaspoon of vanilla powder

Method Peel the banana then place everything into a blender and blend until the shake is smooth & creamy.

Date Granola

Serves 1

• 2 red apples
• a handful of blueberries
• about 1/2 an inch of fresh ginger
• a heaped teaspoon of BeLOVeD Date Nectar
• a heaped teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 a can of coconut milk
• granola

Method Start by peeling your apples. Then cut them into bite-sized pieces, discarding the core. Place the pieces in a saucepan with the blueberries, cinnamon and date nectar and cover the bottom few cm's of the saucepan in coconut milk. Allow the pan to start simmering on a low heat. As it cooks just watch that there's always enough liquid and the apples aren't sticking and burning to the bottom of the pan. If this is happening just add a little more coconut milk or some water. Then peel your ginger and then grate it onto a plate, then add this to the pan. (I grate it on a plate not straight into the pan as most graters are metal and they get very hot when used above heat!). Allow the apple mix to cook for about twenty minutes, at which point all the coconut milk should be evaporated or absorbed. Place the apples in a bowl and use the pan to heat up the remaining coconut milk for a minute or two, then pour this over the apples, add your granola and enjoy! You can make the apples in big batches, allow them to cool and then store them in an air-tight container in the fridge if you want a speedy breakfast! They should last about five days if stored this way.