Saturday, January 9, 2016

Apricot Grunt, Kolaczi & a Martini

Why fruits? It is a well-known fact that Mother Nature has blessed the Earth with nutritional fruits whose health benefits are limitless, the best being they keep you healthy without increasing weight. Low in calories and fat, each type of fruit provides simple sugars, fiber, vitamins and minerals, as well as being composed of many anti-oxidants. Even better are the facts they are a feast to behold and simply taste GREAT!

January 9 is...

National Apricot Day

http://eathealthylivefit.com/2014/07/the-health-benefits-of-apricots/

WOW! Those delicious, healthy apricots! So good and so good for you...low in calories, but high in nutritive components. They can be enjoyed any time of the day—breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon pick-me-up, dinner and evening appetite curber! That's right—Eat dried apricots to find relief from those evening hunger pangs.

Now that you know about the health benefits of apricots, let's get cookin'...

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/apricot_grunt.html

Apricot Grunt (Recipe)

First up is a new recipe, at least to me anyway. Have you ever heard of grunts?

Grunts, also known as slumps, are cousins to the cobbler—they too feature a biscuit topping, but unlike the cobbler, which is baked in the oven, a grunt is cooked on the stovetop. In this easy dessert, apricots simmer in a skillet with honey and a touch of cloves. Then whole-grain buttermilk biscuits are steamed on top of the bubbling fruit until set. Serve warm with a little heavy cream, a dollop of yogurt or vanilla ice cream. Try it with any type of fruit or combination of fruit—frozen fruit works well too.

If the Grunts don't grab you, maybe a batch of homemade biscuits with apricot jam...

For the homemade biscuits, the secret is in the flour. For a flaky, tender biscuit use White Lily® flour, made of soft winter wheat. Self-rising works great! Be sure to add (whip) about a quarter teaspoon of baking soda into the buttermilk because of its higher acid content, which is not always included in the recipe. Choice of shortening is optional but butter-flavored works best since regular shortening is bland and remember, it must be cold! Yes! I know from experience since I bake a batch at least twice a week. Yum!Yum!Yum!

Apricot Jam (Recipe)

Another great use of the Apricot Jam is to bake a batch of Kolaczki.

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2013/01/celebrate_national_apricot_day.php

For the Kolaczki, just click the image for the recipe. It is light, buttery, flaky and filled with fruit preserves, in this case, apricot jam. Some classify Kolaczki as an Eastern European cookie while others declare it is Polish. In fact, it is called many other names dependent upon the country of origin in which the preparation is taking place. If a light breakfast is desired or perhaps a simple snack, a few of these are perfect with a steaming cup of latte.

Remember, in the beginning it was stated apricots work well in any kind of recipe, any meal or snack of the day. Continue on and perhaps you will find one or more to your liking for celebration of National Apricot Day!