El Pajarero dried figs, of the calabacita variety, are a delicious and nutritious snack enjoyed by people of all ages. However, there are some facts about dried figs that many people don't know. We bring you nine of the most interesting ones.
1) Because of their sweet and mild flavour, dried figs are increasingly used in gastronomy, both in sweet and savoury dishes.
2) Currently, the main producers of dried figs are Spain, Turkey, Greece, Egypt and Morocco.
3) Out of the 700 varieties of fig trees found worldwide, only 300 are grown for human consumption.
4) The nutritional value of dried figs, compared to fresh figs, is tripled due to water loss.
5) Excessive salt intake is one of the main causes of high blood pressure and dried figs can help create a balance and prevent it from rising further.
6) Due to the amount of natural sugar in dried figs, they can increase energy levels and improve mood.
7) Dried figs go well with many varieties of cheese, mushrooms, spinach, arugula, endive, lamb's lettuce and watercress, chicory, spring onions, garlic, tofu, different types of bread and other nuts and dried fruits.
8) Because of their vitamin B6 and vitamin E content, consumption of dried figs can relieve menstrual cramps in women.
9) For those days when we know that we are going to be spending a lot of energy, dried figs are a great option due to them being high in calories.
We hope that these interesting facts about El Pajarero dried figs and, above all, their consumption, have pleasantly surprised you. They are delicious, nutritious and natural, perfect to eat anywhere. If you want to know more about their properties or how to prepare various recipes with them, check out the other entries in our blog.
Do you want to make an easy lunch or dinner that is fast, healthy and tasty but you're tired of making the same meals over and over?
We bring you an easier solution: Brown rice with dried figs and mussels! Dried figs add a delicious and sweet flavour that goes very well with the other ingredients.
Not only is it a delicious meal, but it's also very beneficial for your health. Brown rice, mixed together with the dried figs and mussels are an excellent way of obtaining your daily dose of omega 3 through the mussels, as well as magnesium, calcium, fiber and potassium from the dried figs. This delicious plate will make you feel satisfied with very little calories!
This recipe can be made in less than 30 minutes so this is perfect if you're low on time or simply don't feel like cooking.
Ingredients for 4 plates
Brown rice: 250g (8,8oz)
Dried figs El Pajarero: 20 figs
Fresh or frozen mussels: 24 mussels approximately.(depending on their size)
Purple onion: 1 big onion
Coconut oil to your liking
Garlic: 2 cloves
Nutmeg to your liking
Dry bay leaves: 3 (optional)
Preparation:
1. Cook the rice until soft
2. Cut the dried figs into small bits. You can obtain three to four pieces per fig depending on the fig's size. Once you have them, soak them in hot water for 5 minutes to rehydrate them, then let them dry on a paper towel.
3. Steam the mussels and put them aside or defrost about 24 pieces. We recommend that you add the bay leaves to the mussel water. It gives them an extraordinary touch.
4. We will add two to three spoonfuls of coconut oil in a frying pan and we'll fry them with a thinly sliced onion. When it's golden, we'll add the drained brown rice, the figs and the mussels.
5. Mix all the ingredients and add a bit of nutmeg. Other spices that go well with this meal are black pepper and cumin. Although you can add some of your favourite spices, you will have your meal ready. The
only thing that's left to do is to enjoy it!
This delicious brown rice with dried figs and mussels is creamy and full of texture, very similar to risotto. And as we said in the beginning, not only is it easy and quick but it's healthy.
This delicious combination is perfect to be enjoyed at lunch or dinner. We are sure that you will love it.
Enjoy!
You most likely already know about the many properties and benefits of dried figs. They are very rich in vitamin B, C, A and E and many other minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper and phosphate just to name a few.
Incorporate this splendid food in your daily schedule and soon you will feel its properties.
Either if you consume dried figs directly or in sweet or savory meals, the benefits of dry figs are innumerable. Today we want to share with you an authentic and natural recipe that not only you can have with breakfast or as an afternoon snack, but is specially good for children to take to school.
You’ll see how with some dry figs El Pajarero and some oats (as well as some other ingredients) you will add natural sweetness, taste and texture to this delicious dry fruit.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
- 8 dried figs El Pajarero
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/2 a teaspoon of kosher salt or sea salt
- 3 cups of oats
- 1 cup of butter without salt at room temperature
- 1/2 a cup of brown sugar
How to prepare it
Step 1
In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the oats and put them aside.
Step 2
In a blender, stir the butter and the brown sugar until they become one, approximately for 1 minute. Beat the eggs and vanilla. Add the mixture to the flour until it’s well mixed. Stir the dry figs El Pajarero into the mixture. Let the dough rest for at least an hour or overnight (the dough can also be pre-cooked and frozen for future use)
Step 3
Preheat the oven at a high temperature. Cover one or two trays with baking paper. Distribute the dough throughout the trays, about the size of a spoon. Bake for 12 or 14 minutes or until the cookies are slightly golden. Let them cool down for a few minutes.
Recommendation: Enjoy them with a cup of tea and/ or vegetal or cow’s milk.
You will love them!
Today we bring you an amazing savoury plate: Dried fig pie with goat cheese, balsamic vinegar, honey and brown sugar. It's truly delicious!
Here in Higos el Pajarero we love to cook. We're always searching to create new sweet or savoury recipes that contribute to your diet and bring the nutrients you need.
This dried fig and goat cheese pie is perfect for autumn, easy to prepare and it contains very few ingredients. It's hard to imagine how all the ingredients combined can become this delicacy. Its flavor will surprise you.
What do you need for this pie?
- 1 Short pastry
- 12 dried figs El Pajarero
- 1 Goat cheese roll
- 200ml of cream
- 100ml of balsamic vinegar
- One spoonful of honey
- 1 spoonful of brown sugar
- Some rosemary leaves (it's better if they are fresh)
Let's make it!
First, bake the short pastry. Once in its mold, cut the remaining edges with a wooden utensil. To avoid it rising, and most of all so it stays even, we suggest that before putting it in the oven you place some baking paper over the pastry and cover it with chickpeas. The recommended temperature is 180 degrees celsius. Bake it for approximately 20 minutes. Although, this may vary depending on the pastry and the oven you are using. That's why it's important to keep an eye on it.
While the base for our pie is baking, cut 12 dried figs El Pajarero into half.
We suggest that for this recipe you rehydrate the figs. This is optional but recommendable.
An easy and fast way of doing it is once you've cut the figs in half, introduce them in hot water or even boil them for a short time. If you do it in your microwave in 2 or 3 minutes you will have the figs rehydrated and ready to be included in the recipe. If you have more time you can rehydrate them in cold water.
Once you have the figs ready, cut the goat cheese in medium slices and put them aside with the figs.
Meanwhile, beat two eggs and mix them with the 200 ml of cream. Add salt and pepper to your liking.
Cover the insides of the pastry with this mixture.
Afterwards, put the goat's cheese and the figs and bake them again at 180 degrees celcius for another 30 minutes approximately.
In the meantime, let's make the sauce. Add a spoonful of brown sugar, a spoonful of honey and 100 ml of balsamic vinegar into a small pan or saucepan, stir in low heat until dense.
Once we take the pie out of the oven, we can put the rosemary leaves (fresh or dried). Finally, we add the sauce of balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and honey. It gives it the perfect touch.
What did you think? Dare to try it?
We're excited to try different variations of this pie, we're sure more ideas will come up. :-)
We hope you will add this recipe to your usual ones. Incorporating the benefits of dried figs in your plates will bring you many advantages. Here you can read more information.
We'll keep innovating to bring out the best recipes. In the meantime, here you'll find many of them, sweet or savory.
See you soon!
The Pajarero figs variety are a kind of pear shaped fruit, with a red pulp full of edible seeds that have an unmistakable sweet flavor and a particular texture that make it a truly remarkable food. The singularity of these dried figs make it a very anticipated food, since its production is very seasonal, we can only enjoy figs for three months of the year. All fig varieties are high in fiber, mineral, carbohydrates and vitamins which makes them an excellent supplement for a healthy, balanced diet.
Is using figs in the kitchen a novelty?
The particular flavor of dried figs El Pajarero make them the perfect fruit. But besides eating them as they are, figs are the ideal ingredient for a plethora of culinary concoctions due to their versatility. Ancient civilizations appreciated figs for their unmistakable flavor and used them as a key ingredient to elaborate a number of dishes. One of the most particular ones was using figs as a substitute for coffee, toasting and grinding them until they became dust that would be brewed like coffee.
Diverse uses of figs, unique and astounding dishes.
In general, it is believed that the most common use for figs is in desserts. However the truth is that more and more chefs are using them with meat, such as pork, cow and many kinds of birds combining the earthy flavor of meat with the sweet, natural flavor of dried figs.
Recently we visited Toni's kitchen, located in Sant Vicenç dels Horts, a restaurant that serves homemade food elaborated with fresh, local produce. Toni surprised us with his amazing culinary creations. We have been able to delight ourselves with two meals and two desserts which were finger licking delicious. The first one was a fresh salad with goat's cheese and dried figs in syrup. Afterwards, chicken Oporto with dried figs in syrup, sweetened with stevia.
But as we well know, figs are also used to create delicious desserts and Toni had prepared not one, but two. One of them was cottage cheese with honey and dried figs in syrup and the other was natural yogurt with figs and wildberry marmalade. The taste of the figs allows for culinary masterpieces for the palate. It was truly a pleasant experience for all senses. If you want to try delighting yourself with exclusive meals, you will most likely love Toni's kitchen!
It's likely that if you hear mustard chicken with dry figs your mind will think immediately of Medieval Europe. But, have you ever tried it? The bittersweet flavor of mustard and the dry figs make for a perfect combination with the tasty chicken. This meal is very easy to prepare: you just have to follow these simple steps. Let's go!
Ingredients for 4 servings
- 12 pieces of chicken tenderloin
- 16/20 dry figs El Pajarero
- 3 medium onions
- 200g of fresh peas
- Old mustard to your liking
- Bay leaves and any seasoning you like.
Preparation
Season the chicken and lightly pan-fry it with oil. Put it aside.
Cut the onion julienne style and poach them in the same pan. Season it. Let it cook until golden, meanwhile we will take off the stems of the dry figs El Pajarero, dice them and add them to the pan.
They will get moist while cooking, you'll see how delicious and tender they can get.
Afterwards make a long incision on the tenderloin and pour the mustard.
Then use a brush to coat all the pieces. Introduce the pieces into the pan so they finish cooking with the remaining ingredients. It’ll be ready in just a few minutes.
We suggest you make a side salad with lamb's lettuce, cherry tomatoes and chia seeds. They go very well with this meal.
For this dish we have chosen the old mustard because out of all of the varieties of mustard, this is the softest and less processed. That's why this is also a good plate for children. But if only adults will be having this meal, you can use any mustard you like. Whichever you choose will make it an exceptional dish.
Who would have thought this meal was so easy to make? The recipe is easy and tasty. And if you feel a bit adventurous, you can try adding some of your own favorite spices. Above all, don't focus on the complexity of the recipe; it's not hard at all. You just have to follow the steps previously stated to begin to cook your own chicken with dry figs and mustard, medieval style. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 1 serving
- 1 plain Greek yoghurt (no sugar or sweetener)
- 5 pieces of dried figs with rice flour El Pajarero
- 2 generous tablespoons of oats
- 1 medium red apple
- Coconut oil
Preparation
Dry figs make for a great, easy, healthy snack to eat. They are rich in nutrients and can be enjoyed by everyone. They contain a lot of fiber, potassium and calcium and are easy to eat.
You can eat them by themselves or add them to yogurt or cream cheese. They are also delicious for salads and your favorite stews and meats. Here you will find many recipes that have dry figs.
Not only are dry figs delicious and full of vitamins and minerals, but they also have other great benefits for your health. Keep reading to find out about the five main reasons you should consider adding dry figs to your diet today.
5 benefits of eating dry figs
1 Fiber: You most likely have heard that fiber is important for your health. Do you know why? It’s because, among many other reasons the consumption of foods that are high in fiber can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, it keeps your digestion in check and it won't make you feel bloated like other foods. Besides, it’s so filling it’ll prevent overeating. All of these reasons will make your digestive system very grateful for this food. :)
2 Potassium: Potassium deficiency can cause weakening of muscles, arritmia and a slight increase of blood pressure. You will most likely have heard that bananas are a great source of potassium, well, as unlikely as it sounds dry figs contain more potassium than bananas and are easier to digest.
3 Calcium: Most fruits contain a bit of calcium, but dry figs have a remarkably high content in them. If you’re looking for a way of keeping your bones strong, a daily serving of dry figs will give you great results!
4 Magnesium: Magnesium deficiency is very common and is linked to cardiovascular disease and increase of glucose. Due to the multiple operations your organism does everyday it is considering a vital mineral for health. A tasty and natural way of getting more magnesium in your diet is through eating dry figs.
5 Iron: Iron is a mineral that helps your body grow and develop. In fact it’s so important for the growth and development of humans that, if you don’t have enough in you, it can cause anemia. Dry figs are a great source of iron. If you need to increase your iron levels in a natural way, eat dry figs daily.
Dry figs are one of the oldest cultivated plants in history. They have been used for centuries by many different cultures, and they contain antioxidants that will contribute great benefits for your health. In case you haven't yet, it’s time to add dry figs to your diet.