It's summer, the middle of August and we're in "holiday mode". It's quite hot and we feel like eating light, fresh and, above all, quick to prepare, to avoid spending long hours in the kitchen. 

Today we want to share with you a fresh, healthy and delicious snack that you can prepare in 5 minutes... (Or less).

Why is this recipe especially for athletes?

This snack is a great option for athletes, as it provides them with carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats.

Whipped cream cheese contains a high protein content, mostly casein, a slow-absorbing protein. Skimmed cheese is the perfect non-fat substitute for cream. It is gluten-free, which also makes it ideal for coeliacs.

It also has no added sugar. The sweetness of our snack has been achieved thanks to the sweetness of our El Pajarero dried figs, another food rich in iron, magnesium and calcium that will give you everything your muscles need. 

Another advantage of this recipe is that you don't need a long list of ingredients, you don't have to use heat and you'll have it ready in just a few minutes. So if you're short on time or just looking for something new to try, this recipe will be perfect for you. Without further ado, let's get started!

Ingredients for two servings

• 200g 0% fat whipped cream cheese or the one of your choice 
• 6 dried figs "El Pajarero"
• 80g ripe mango
• 1 golden or green kiwi
• 2 large strawberries
• Chia seeds
• Optional: honey, banana and seasonal fruits of your choice.

Preparation

Cut the figs in half. The advantage of our El Pajarero dried figs is that as they are small, you won't need many cuts.

Peel the mango and dice it. Do the same with the kiwi, strawberries and any other fruit you have decided to add.

Once you have the fruits ready, separate the whipped cream cheese into two bowls (100 grams each). Spread the fruit on top of the whipped cheese and here's a tip: if you play with the colours of the fruit, it will be even more appetising ;) 

Set aside in the fridge for a couple of minutes.

Before eating, sprinkle with chia seeds. Another option is to add chopped walnuts.

As mentioned above, this recipe is sugar-free. The sweetness will be achieved with our El Pajarero dried figs. And also if the fruits you have added are at the right point of ripeness.

However, if you think it lacks sugar, you can pour a thin trickle of honey on top. It will give it a delicious and natural touch.

This recipe is perfect for summer and as you can see, it is very easy to make, just mix all the ingredients and enjoy! 

On these cold afternoons, when we feel like a nice cup of hot coffee or tea, there is nothing better than accompanying it with delicious home-made pastries.

Today we bring you the recipe of an authentic Italian delicacy: Il Buccellato. This delicious ring-shaped cake (also known as bagel) is filled with a variety of nutritious nuts that you can easily get your hands on. 

Ingredients for the dough

• 1 kg wheat flour
   
• 300 gr of sugar
   
• 250 gr lard
   
• 3 eggs
   
• 150 ml milk
   
• 1 sachet of yeast
   
• grated orange peel
   
• vanilla
   
• orange juice

Ingredients for the filling

• 400 gr dried figs El Pajarero
   
• 100 gr of raisins
   
• 150 gr of walnuts or pistachios
   
• 150 gr almonds
   
• 200 gr chocolate pieces
   
• cinnamon 
   
• wine (if you like)

Preparation

1. Place the butter and sugar in a bowl. Add the eggs one by one, then add the flour, the baking powder, and the grated orange peel. Add everything and form a smooth and homogeneous dough. Once you have it, wrap it with non-stick paper and put it in the refrigerator for an hour.

2. Now it is the turn of the filling. In a saucepan, place the dried figs, 1 beaten egg, the raisins, and the rest of the dried fruits, and add some wine if you like. Mix everything together and heat over medium heat for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool.

3. Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out with a rolling pin until it is 1.5 cm thick, form a rectangle and put the filling across the width as if forming a log. Then roll the dough and shape it into a round until you get the shape of a crown or doughnut. Slightly cut the dough crosswise until the filling is just visible.

4. When it has the correct shape, if you have filling left, place it on top. This will ensure that when it comes out of the oven, it will have an excellent color. If you do not have any filling mixture left, you can brush it with beaten egg. Place in the oven at 180º C, cook for 25 minutes, remove from the oven and brush again with the egg or the mixture. Put back in the oven for 5 to 10 more minutes.

5. To decorate, nuts ,cherries in syrup or polished fruit can be placed on top. It is important to serve it cold, because if you serve it hot, the buccellato may crumble.

Enjoy! :-)

Every sunrise is a new beginning, so why not start the day with something special? This morning, we challenge you to prepare pancakes with dried figs and apples. They're sweet, nutritious and, best of all, quick and easy to make! Forget about flour, sugar and milk. All you need are a few simple ingredients and about 10 minutes. And since we'll prepare them in a skillet, you don't have to wait for the oven to heat up.

Let's get cooking!

Ingredients for two servings (for a 18cm diameter pan)

• 3 dried figs El Pajarero
• 3 tablespoons of oatmeal (30 g)
• half a teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 egg (or 2 egg whites)
• Half an apple cut into thin slices
• Cinnamon to taste

Preparation

First of all, combine the oat flakes with the baking powder, add the egg and mix. We'll get a semi-liquid preparation.

Heat a non-stick frying pan and place the mixture.

Cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the dried figs and apples.

Take the lid off and spread the apple slices all around, following a circular pattern, add the dried figs and sprinkle some cinnamon on top.

Cover again and let it cook for 4 or 5 minutes more.

Meanwhile, enjoy the appetizing aroma of cinnamon and figs cooking while they slowly expand in your pan.

Ready to try this delicious and nutritious recipe?

Serve and enjoy it warm with freshly brewed tea or coffee.

Let us know how it turned out on our social networks! We look forward to hearing your opinion.

Figs are usually a perfect accompaniment to cheeses, so today we would like to suggest four ways of combining them: blue cheese, fresh cheese, goat cheese and aged cheese. In some of these combinations, some other ingredients are added, but the main ingredients are dried figs and cheese. Let's get started!

Figs with goat cheese

A winner combination. If you want to surprise your guests with a quick and delicious recipe, we suggest two alternatives, either hot or cold.

The combination of figs with warm goat cheese consists in opening some dried figs and introducing a teaspoon of goat cheese in each one. The amount will depend on the size of the fig, but it must be enough to be able to close it. Once closed, place the figs with goat cheese in the oven at 180º for approximately 10 minutes. You can serve it on freshly made toast. 

If you prefer eating it cold, just open the dried figs in half, put some goat cheese and, if desired, add a drop of balsamic vinegar (it will go great). You can add pistachio nuts and besides giving it a new texture, it enhances the flavor. 

Figs with blue cheese

Specifically, Niki Segnit in The Encyclopedia of Flavors recommends combining figs with stilton cheese and a glass of oporto. She also recommends combining figs with blue cheese in a salad with hearty leaves, also drizzled with a vinaigrette of oporto, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

Figs with fresh cheese

Between July and August, in fig harvesting season, figs are usually eaten for breakfast accompanied by fresh cheese and some nuts. When fresh figs are not in season, dried figs are very pleasurable when eaten with fresh cheese and honey regardless. If you like sweet and sour, you will love this combination. 

Figs with aged cheese

Are you daring enough to combine dried figs with a good Manchego? The association responsible for the famous Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese recommends pairing young Parmesan cheese with dried figs and hazelnuts.  And if you add to this combination a good Serrano ham, the combination becomes otherworldly

What's your favorite combination? 

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!