There aren't many things in life that are more unfortunate
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then having to face the scale the day after one gets home from vacation
5:45 am, on a Saturday (!)
True confessions of a sugar addict began as we walked across the room. “I shouldn't have even gone in. Should have just kept walking. I know myself far better than that. Dang it, double.”
She smiled
“I thought I could have just one. The smallest of tasty treats, really. What could one little dish of gelato hurt? I still had eight days of vacation left to walk it off. Nothing to see here.”
“Was it good?”
“Incredible. Fig. Fig gelato with cacao nibs.”
“One dish of gelato isn't going to make a difference. I was only one, right?”
Alas
It was during that very same week, a happy email from home. My Mom passed along a recipe we'd talked loosely about for months, fig compote.
The irony is certainly not lost on me.
This was the first recipe I reached for when I got home, and couldn't resist bringing it to this month's Food Swap
Until now, the world of compotes has been unfamiliar, so I was pleasantly surprised by how quick and easy it was to make. The flavors here are deep and sophisticated. Figs, dried pears, and raisins form the base. Honey and lemon enhance the sweetness of the figs.
What's the difference between a compote and a jam? Compotes tend to be chunkier, cooked for a shorter amount of time, and don't necessarily have sugar like jam will
The bigger question, what's the best way to eat this new-found treasure?
I started with a spoon, straight out of the jar. From there, I graduated to a slight slather on gluten-free toast and branched out from there: a drizzle on steel-cut oats, topping for pancakes. I've also read it's best served with stinky cheeses (!)
It's going to be fun to experiment
I got off the scale and was down half a pound. Fig gelato and all, my body comp still about the same
As I sat to put on my gloves and shoes for the 6 am class, my definition of success wasn't far from my mind. Yes, the scale and body comp numbers didn't move very much, but really, that's ok
A ten-day vacation, half a pound lost
I have so much more energy and feel really, really good
I've stuck with the 8-week run, 90% (ish) with a few off-plan meals here and there
A Diet Coke habit .. kicked (!)
A 40+ year love-affair with ketchup .. almost kicked .. (almost)
Total stats since I started: Down 7 1/2 pounds and 2% body comp
Enjoy!
xoxo
~ Adapted from my Brother & his Wife's original
Sweet Fig Compote
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup water
- ¾ cup mission figs, chopped
- ¼ cup golden raisins, chopped
- ¼ cup dried pears, chopped
- (any dried fruit can be substituted in the same ratio)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best)
- 1 Tbsp honey (or sweetener of choice)
Instructions
- In a small pot over medium-low heat, combine water, figs, raisins, pears, and salt. Cook until reduced to a jam consistency (~ 20-30 min)
- Add the vanilla, lemon juice, and brown rice syrup, and cook 3-4 min longer
- Use an immersion blender, or a few pulses in your food processor to make a thick paste-like spread
1 Comment
And that is precisely why I prefer compotes to jam because they are chunkier and have far more flavour! I bet the fig tastes rich and delicious x