Spice it Up

Spicing up the kitchen is as simple as drying some herbs or veggies, then grinding them to powders to make your owns seasonings.  While the varieties are endless this is how I make a spicy jalapeno powder from fresh peppers.

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Dried Fig spread

I picked up a couple pounds of dried black mission figs the other day and had some extra that I wanted to use up.  I stumbled upon this super easy recipe for a fig spread that has my mind racing on possible uses.  For now I have used it as a spread on breads and crackers but thinking homemade fig newtons or fig filled shortbread cookies.

It's definitely easy to get a little sad in the Winter about not having a lot of fresh fruits but it's also a good time to use dried fruits and be a little creative.  This recipe can easily be used for other types of fruits.  One thing I really like about it is the fact that it really doesn't use much sugar since the dried fruits already have a high concentrate of their own sugars, which are even heightened by the drying process.

All You Need:

1.5 Cups Water

1 Cup quartered dried figs

2 TBSP sugar

2 TBSP Whiskey or Cognac

1 TBSP Lemon Juice.

Combine all of the ingredients except Cognac and Lemon Juice into a small saucepan.  Stir while bringing the mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until the figs are soft.

Transfer to a food processor and add the lemon juice and cognac.  Pulse until smooth and thick.   You can add some water to play with the consistency if you prefer a thinner spread.

Cool and refrigerate until use.