Apricot Day

We are doing a mini theme for the rest of the month...National Days. Today happens to be National Apricot day so we are going to give you a little info about the apricot and a couple sweet and savoury recipes to try out.

The apricot is a stone fruit and comes from a small tree with a dense canopy and oval leaves. It bears flowers that are whitish and pink. The actual fruit looks like a small peach with a firm and not very juicy flesh and is often yellow to orange with a red tinge sometimes if it gets too much sun exposure. Apricots are often eaten dried with the world’s largest producer being Turkey. When dried, the nutrients are actually increased with Vitamins A and E, potassium, and iron having 25% of the daily value.

Check out this sweet recipe we found...

Honey Grilled Apricots

You will need...

3 Tbsp.butter

2 Tbsp. sugar

6 to 8 apricots (halved and pitted)

2 Tbsp. honey

1 lemon

How to make...

Melt butter and sugar together in a large pan.

Add apricots and coat with butter mixture.

Place on grill for 6 to 7 minutes, turning often.

Once cooked, place apricots on dessert plates cut side up, drizzle with honey and lemon juice, and serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or with slices of Brie cheese.

Garnish with cinnamon and mint leaves.

Apricot Preserve

You will need...

2 cups dried apricots

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 3/4 cups water

How to make...

Finely chop the apricots in a food processor. Make sure the pieces are all uniform.

Place the apricots in a slow cooker. Stir in the sugar, lemon juice, and water. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Uncover and cook on high, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 hours longer or until the mixture has thickened.

Ladle into clean glass jars. Let the glass jars cool before sealing. Store in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Savoury recipes...

Apricot BBQ Sauce

You will need...

1/2 cup apricot preserves

1/4 cup onion (pureed)

1/4 cup ketchup

2 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp. mild chili sauce

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 pinch salt

How to make...

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil.

Add pureed onion and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Finally add remaining ingredients and allow to bubble up slightly.

Reduce heat and simmer through for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Once ingredients have formed a glaze-like consistency, remove the pan from heat and allow to cool before using.

Moroccan Chicken and Apricot Tagine

You will need...

1 whole chicken, cut into eight pieces

2 medium onions, grated

3 to 4 cloves of garlic

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. saffron threads, crumbled

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1 or 2 small 3-inch pieces of cinnamon stick

3 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. olive oil

A small handful of cilantro sprigs tied into a bouquet

1/2 cup chicken broth

3/4 cup water

3 Tbsp.sugar or honey

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 cup dried apricots

1 to 2 tsp. sesame seeds

How to make it...

Remove the skin from the chicken.

Combine the spices in a large bowl, add the chicken, and toss to evenly coat the chicken pieces with the spices.

Over medium-low heat, melt the butter in the base of a large tagine. Add the olive oil, onions, garlic, and cinnamon. Add the seasoned chicken, meat-side down, in a single layer on top of the onions. Place the cilantro bouquet on top.

Add the broth to the tagine. Swirl the water in the bowl to cleanse it of the spices, and then add the water to the tagine as well. Cover and leave the liquids to reach a simmer over medium-low heat.

Once simmering, cook the chicken, for one hour. Remove and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquids.

Carefully turn the chicken pieces over so that they are meat-side-up. Cover and continue simmering for another 30 minutes to one hour, until the chicken is done and the liquids are thick and reduced. 

Mix together the honey and cinnamon to form a flavuored syrup.

Top your finished dish with the honey-cinnamon syrup, dried apricots and sesame seeds.

Happy Apricot Day!