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Old 06-18-2007, 04:00 PM   #1  
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Default This Week's Healthiest Food - Figs

http://www.whfoods.com/index.html?PH...cf68e93580e481

Ummm, not a fan of these, but maybe some of you are
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Old 06-18-2007, 04:12 PM   #2  
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I think the only way I’ve ever eaten figs is in the form of Fig Newton. (mmm...fruited cake.) Used to love those when I was a kid. I should give ‘em a try fresh and see how I like them.
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Old 06-18-2007, 04:21 PM   #3  
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Oh I tried fresh figs for the very first time last year. I was originally going to cook something with them but then decided not to bother since they were so good fresh They are wonderful!! I've been looking for them in the markets the past few weeks, but they aren't in yet. I had only had them in fig newtons too, but I think they taste better than the cookie!
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Old 06-18-2007, 04:35 PM   #4  
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I found some in my local market on Saturday and they were great! I was spoiled when I lived in Atlanta and I had a coworker with a fig tree in his yard. Every year he would bring in buckets of fresh figs.
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Old 09-11-2007, 12:00 PM   #5  
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I cooked with figs for the first time and it turned out wonderfully! I like them fresh as well, but decided I had better do someting with the bulk of them before they went bad. The following is cut and paste from here.

Quote:
Black Beans with Figs and Bell Peppers

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter or corn oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large yellow pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
2 whole cloves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
12 medium California figs, sliced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 cups cooked black beans

Directions


Melt the butter or heat the oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, garlic, cloves, cumin and cilantro. Cook, stirring often, until the onion softens, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the diced figs, lemon juice and brown sugar to the onion-pepper mixture. Add the beans, cover and cook over low heat until the peppers are soft, about 20 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. Serve hot or chilled.

Serves 4

Nutrition facts per 1 serving: 300 cal (14% cal. from fat), 5 g total fat, 10 mg chol., 270 mg sodium, 64 g carbo., 15 g fiber, 8 g pro., Daily Value: 60% vit. A, 200% vit. C, 15% calcium, 25 % iron.
I made a few changes to use what I had on hand. I used 1/2 T peanut oil (I almost always reduce the oil called for in recipes like this by at least 1/2, never caused me any problems), 1 large green bell pepper instead of 1 red and 1 yellow, pinch of allspice in place of cloves, parsley in place of cilantro, had just 1 can of black beans so I added around a cup of chickpeas. (I know, I chnaged more things than not. ) Even my DF who claims not to like figs really enjoyed this. We ate it over whole wheat cous cous. Pretty quick to throw together, think I'll make this as written next time. I like the red and yellow peppers better and I think cilantro would be great. You could probably use any bean you like, I thought the mix of black beans and chickpeas was nice.
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Old 09-11-2007, 02:46 PM   #6  
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Fresh figs and manchego cheese -- yum.
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Old 09-11-2007, 04:01 PM   #7  
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Figs are delicious. One of the best things (not diet friendly, but good for parties) is to stuff them with a little cheese--parmesan or a strong blue--and then wrap them in bacon and bake. It's unbelievably good. Sweet, salty and cheesy.

There was a nice looking recipe for salad with fig dressing in one of my cooking magazines recently, but I haven't been able to find any fresh figs. Anyone know when they're in season?
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Old 09-25-2007, 03:52 AM   #8  
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Out here in CA, figs are in season now (at least one variety is). A friend of mine has a fig tree and has been giving me fresh figs for the past couple of weeks. It was the first time I tried them. They are so good that I can't believe I've gone my whole without eating them.

I like just eating them plain, by themselves, but I've also worked them into a couple of recipes that I made up myself.

Chicken, Fig, and Goat Cheese Salad
- 2 oz baby spinach
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 oz fennel, broiled and diced
- 3 oz red pepper, roasted and cut into slices
- 2 or 3 cloves roasted garlic
- 2 oz figs, diced
- 1 oz light chevre, crumbled
- 4 oz chicken, broiled (weighed before cooking) and shredded
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp dijon or whole grain mustard

Toss spinach with salt and pepper. Layer on remaining ingredients through chicken. Mix vinegar and mustard in a small bowl and pour over salad.

The whole thing comes in at about 300 calories.

Fig and Yogurt Parfaits
- 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp vanilla Torani syrup or 1 packet vanilla Splenda
- 1 tbsp wheat germ
- 2 oz fig, diced
- cinnamon

Mix yogurt and sweetener. Sprinkle with wheat germ, then top with figs. Sprinkle cinnamon over top.

This comes in at about 100 calories.
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Old 09-25-2007, 04:15 AM   #9  
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Sadly, our fig season has passed this year, but I got a couple of gallons from my brother in law earlier this summer. I wasn't extremely creative with them. I did eat some with yogurt and some by themselves while they were nice and fresh. The remainder was made into preserves. I made two types of preserves, one with strawberries and figs and the other with figs and lemons. The strawberries are my favorite. I used the no sugar sure-jel and used splenda as the sweetner. They made a lovely preserve, much nicer than the splenda blackberry jam I tried earlier this year.

I was a little surprised at the calorie count on fitday. I could easily eat a handful of figs, but at 37 calories for one fig, I defintely had to use restraint. It just seems higher than most fruit, probably because I eat a lot of berries and berries are fairly low calorie for the portion size.
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Old 10-14-2007, 02:28 PM   #10  
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yum...love fresh raw figs, I use them as a treat.
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Old 10-15-2007, 04:52 AM   #11  
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I actually put them on my 'to try' shopping list for this week before seeing this thread. I too had been thinking that I had only really had them in newton form and I should find out what they really taste like.
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Old 10-15-2007, 10:00 AM   #12  
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I'm kind of amazed how many people never have tried real figs My great grandparents had a fig tree when I was young and my parents have 2 fig trees now. They are really good although I think it is hard to find them in the supermarkets. I've also bought them dried and they are pretty good that way too. I really love them but don't eat them often. I think Costco carries them when they are in season.
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Old 10-15-2007, 09:37 PM   #13  
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They're so delicate that they don't hold up well in the store. So for most of us, if you don't know someone with a fig tree, you may never get to try them. My grandparents had a couple of trees growing up, and my brother-in-law's parents have some now and offered them to me this past season.

I never see fresh ones here in the store or farmer's market. Wish I did, I love them and would buy them if I could find fresh ones!
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Old 10-15-2007, 11:28 PM   #14  
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Come on over to my house....my neighbor's fig tree has plenty! Between him and us we can't eat them all! Of course the big black crows get their "more" than fair share!

Last edited by EZMONEY; 10-15-2007 at 11:29 PM. Reason: add some correct vowels!
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Old 10-16-2007, 10:56 AM   #15  
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I sure wish I could mosey on over there Gary and get some. I would love to put up some more (sugar-free) fig - strawberry preserves. We only have one jar left, and I'm "saving" it for something special!
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