Anyways…. Dried plums are a nutritional powerhouse- each serving (4-5 plums) is 100 calories, 3g of fiber, 293 mg of potassium, 16 mg of magnesium and more vitamin K than any other fresh or dried fruit. Dried plums also help support healthy bones! Did you know May is National Osteoporosis Month? When most people think of bone health they think of calcium and vitamin D…. and when you think of these nutrients one of the first foods you think of is milk and other dairy products. Well my friend, you are overlooking the brilliance of California dried plums. Recent studies show that eating 2 servings of dried plums a day over the course of a year, was associated with increased bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. Dried plums can used to reduce sugar in recipes, as well as replace fats or oils. I personally love using fruit as a natural sweetener- I was inspired by so many ideas for this prompt but I decided to go a more savory route. The dried plums are both used in the sauce and they were so delicious, I chopped some up to add to the salad base. Plum Perfection.
For the sauce/vinaigrette:
½ cup California Dried Plums
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
For the salad:
1 cucumber
1 red pepper
1 small red onion
½ cup California Dried Plums
2 cups stale cubed/shredded bread
20 basil leaves
Directions:
1. First of all, stale the bread… I just shredded a baguette and left it out for a few hours but you could likely toast the bread if needed on short notice. Overnight staling is best.
2. Measure and combine the two vinegars for the sauce in a very small pot, add California Dried Plums and simmer for about 20 minutes or until reduced to half.
3. While your vinaigrette is in the works, start chopping the cucumber, red pepper, onion, California Dried Plums and basil leaves. Toss in bowl to combine
4. Once sauce is reduced, transfer to blender or food processor to puree with ¼ cup olive oil
5. Top salad with a drizzle of the sauce or put everything in a bowl with lid and shake
Like I said- plum perfection! Have you had dried plums before? How do you like to eat them?? Check out what all the Recipe Reduxers did below!