Delicious Date Paste

I genuinely wish I had this when I was pregnant- would have made the whole "eat six dates a day" thing much easier.

I am ashamed to admit how currently uninvested I am in cooking for myself.

The end of the day hits, I’ve had a fulfilling day at work but then I’m straight to clocking in as a mom. Don’t get me wrong: I love what I do. However, my immediate needs take a clear backseat to my son’s. Dinner comes together quickly for me; leftovers from the day before, eggs and toast is a die hard, a quick combo of “things- that- don’t- really- go- together- but- I’ll- make- it- work” from the fridge.

We have reached a VERY exciting point in the baby journey- diving into the great big world of food. Secretly I have been so excited for this, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t give myself a pat on the back for the fact that my son loves salmon and sweet potato and peanut butter.

I want food to be fun for him, so I purchased a singular cookbook- “The First Foods Book” by Ella’s Kitchen (the purple one, specifically). We’ve had fun trying out new recipes for his little taste buds to experience.

What I didn’t bargain for was my own taste buds being revitalized too! I thought I’d be driven into prenatal PTSD when I saw a recipe that included dates- boy am I glad I was wrong. When you take a bite, it’s sweet without being sticky. It tastes slightly sweet and earthy like homemade pumpkin pie filling does. From a practitioner perspective I love that the ingredients in this paste:

• Support bone, muscle, and nerve function (thank you, magnesium)

• Encourage strong immune function (courtesy of zinc)

• Are a source of energy and brain health (copper does the trick)

While my son has enjoyed having this paste stirred through yogurt, I personally have enjoyed it spread on toast/ crackers for a quick sweet treat (as well as the obligatory yogurt bowl before I go to bed). I’ll leave the recipe below and you can try it out for your kids yourself.

Delicious Date Paste

Makes about 1/2 cup paste

Ingredients:

• 40g soft dates, pitted

• 30g cashews

• Pinch of cinnamon

• 1 to 2 tbsp milk of choice (I used whole milk)

Method:

• Add your dates and cashews to a heatproof bowl, and add two tablespoons of boiled water. Cover, and leave to sit for two hours (ideally overnight).

• When your dates and cashews are done soaking, add them (and the soaking water) to a mini food processor with your pinch of cinnamon and milk. Blitz until a smooth paste.

• Stir into yogurt or porridge, spread atop toast or pancakes, or use as part of a charcuterie board. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, and consume within one week.

Bon appetit!