Basically candy in health form.

These dates are so creamy and loaded with deliciousness that you might forget what it is you’re actually eating- a date.

Nadav(who is 1) is obsessed and I mean OBSESSED with these- I cut them into little pieces and I might admit that he ate half a tray of them once. I ate the other half. This is what happens when we are home alone together and recipe testing and we come up with something reallllyyy good.

Which happens often when dates are involved!!! and Lotus spread, and chocolate, and maple candied walnuts.

This is Nadav eating dates(and rocks if you look a little closer HAHA).

Just biting into one of these, hitting the chocolate crunch and then the real walnut crunch, and then sinking your teeth into sweet medjool date, is addictive.

Stuffed dates should last for a while(I think- they never actually last long in my house) because dates are great like that, so you can keep these in your fridge and satisfy your cravings anytime.

Because these “candies” are also really gorgeous you can serve them up as a dessert for hosting!!! Aren’t we always looking for make-ahead-desserts on the healthier side??! YES WE ARE.

To make: prep your ingredients.

1.Buy nice large, sweet Medjool dates- be sure they are soft and not dried up on the outsides. Remove the little hard piece at the top, open up and remove the pit. Check each date to make sure it is clean! If they rip into two pieces that’s okay- they are sticky and will hold together just fine.

2.With a spoon, mix together your filling- Lotus spread, peanut butter, and honey, until it is nice and creamy and begging to be eaten. It will beg, trust me.

3.Roast the walnuts- drizzle walnuts with maple syrup and roast or toast in the oven for a few minutes.

4.Melt chocolate- dark or milk(I used dark), in the microwave or in a double boiler. I keep the extra chocolate in an airtight container- I use these glass pyrex containers so when I want to make some dates, I can just take off the lid and pop the container into the micro!

Assemble all of your ingredients. Fill each date with filling, and press the two halves together. You want to put extra so it comes out at the top a little- and press a walnut or two- into the filling. This will keep the walnut in place.

Once all the dates are stuffed, drizzle dates with chocolate, and press another walnut into the top. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt, place on a parchment sheet and into the fridge to harden. Remove right before serving or snacking. Enjoy!

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Middle Eastern Meatballs (with Potatoes & Peas)

Estee

A hearty healthy dinner to make with lots of middle eastern flavour.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  

For the meatballs:

• 1 lb 500 g ground meat or ground chicken
• 1 small onion finely grated or very finely diced
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4-5 potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 cups boiling water
• 1 cup frozen peas

Instructions

 

Directions

• To make the meatballs, combine the ground meat, onion, parsley, panko breadcrumbs, cumin, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Mix gently with your hands until just combined. Form the mixture into small meatballs and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil for the sauce in a large, deep skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
• Add the turmeric, cumin, black pepper, and salt and cook for 30 seconds, stirring, until the spices are fragrant.
• Add the potatoes and boiling water and bring to a simmer. Carefully add the meatballs to the sauce, arranging them in a single layer as much as possible. Cover and simmer for around an hour, gently shaking the pan occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened a bit.
• Add the frozen peas, cover again, and cook for 3–5 minutes, until the peas are heated through and bright green. Serve warm, and enjoy!

Keyword meatballs, middle eastern