Spiced Apricots Recipes

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup each sliced dried apricots and dried cherries, 3 strips lemon zest, the juice of 1 lemon, a spoonful of sugar, 1 cinnamon stick and 2 tablespoons water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 30 seconds. Toss with 2 segmented oranges, 2 sliced pears and a dash of vanilla; let sit at least 30 minutes. Serve with yogurt.
• Serves: 4 (does not include yogurt); Calories: 181; Total Fat: 0.5 gram; Saturated Fat: 0 grams; Protein: 2 grams; Total carbohydrates: 46 grams; Sugar: 35 grams; Fiber: 6 grams; Cholesterol: 0 milligrams; Sodium: 3 milligrams

Steps:

• Drain pineapple, reserving juice. In an ungreased shallow 3-1/2-qt. baking dish, combine the pineapple, apricots, peaches and pears; set aside. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, ginger and reserved pineapple juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes. Discard cinnamon sticks. Pour over fruit. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix first 5 ingredients; stir in oats, apricots and pecans. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, applesauce and vanilla; gradually whisk in melted butter. Stir into oat mixture., Transfer to a greased 11x7-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes or until set and edges are lightly browned. Cut into 12 portions; serve with toppings. Freeze option: Freeze cooled portions of oatmeal in airtight freezer containers. To use, microwave each portion on high for 20-30 seconds or until heated through. Serve with toppings.

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add almonds; cook and stir until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. In the same skillet, brown chicken on both sides. Remove from heat. Transfer chicken to a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker. Stir chili sauce, preserves, apricots, Moroccan seasoning, vanilla and garlic powder into drippings. Pour over chicken., Cook, covered, on low until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 170°-175°, 4 to 4-1/2 hours. Stir in garbanzo beans and orange juice. Cook, covered, on low until heated through, 15-30 minutes longer. Serve with almonds. If desired, sprinkle with parsley.

Steps:

• Put apricot syrup in saucepan.
• Add the vinegar, allspice and cinnamon.
• Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
• Put in the apricots.
• Let stand for 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Halve and stone the apricots, then chop them into small pieces. Peel and coarsely chop the onions, ginger and apples, and put in a food processor. Roughly chop the chillies and add to the food processor along with the seeds. Blitz until finely chopped, then tip into a large pan and add the spices, salt and vinegar. Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 10 mins, stirring occasionally.
• Add the apricots and return to the boil. Simmer for a further 10 mins until the apricots are starting to soften, then tip in the sugar and stir until dissolved. Increase the heat and boil for 15-20 mins, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and leaves a brief trail when a wooden spoon is dragged across the base of the pan.
• Pot into warm clean jars and label. Store for up to a year in a cool dry place.

Steps:

• In a saucepan, over medium heat, warm the olive oil, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• Stir in the chicken stock and water; bring to a boil.
• Add the rice; reduce heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until rice is almost tender.
• Stir in seasonings, apricots and green onion; cook an additional 5 minutes to blend flavors.

Steps:

• In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours or until cider reaches desired temperature. Discard cloves and cinnamon sticks.

Steps:

• Heat the grill to medium and put the pork steaks on to a large baking tray lined with foil to catch the juices. Brush with a little oil and season to taste. Arrange the apricots around the pork, cut side up. Dot the apricots with the butter, then sprinkle with the chilli and sugar.
• Grill for 15 mins, turning the pork over half way through, until cooked and golden and the apricots are soft and sticky, but still holding their shape. Serve the apricots alongside the pork, drizzled with any sticky juices - great with vegetables and mash.

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients, except the fruits, into a large saucepan and slowly bring to the boil, uncovered. Boil the syrup for 5 minutes then remove the pan from the heat.
• Top and tail the oranges, then slice off the skin and every scrap of pith, using a small, sharp kitchen knife. Cradle each orange in the palm of your hand, hold it over the saucepan and cut out the segments, letting them drop into the syrup. Squeeze any juice from the debris into the syrup, too, then discard.
• Add the apricots and plums to the syrup and return the saucepan to a medium heat. Bring to the boil, then simmer the fruits for 10 minutes. Leave to cool, then chill for at least 2 hours.
• Serve the poached fruits just as they are or as a brûlée: whisk the milk into the fromage frais to loosen it a little, then divide the fruits and enough juice to cover them, among six ovenproof ramekins and spoon on the fromage frais, thickly. Dust with caster sugar and then 'burn' the sugar with a blow-torch. (Or put the ramekins on a heavy baking sheet, place it under a very hot grill and leave for 1-2 minutes until the sugar has caramelised.)

Steps:

• Spatchcock the chickens - see tip, below, or ask your butcher to do it for you. Put the olive oil, coriander, sumac, cumin, fennel, chilli, garlic, lemon zest and juice, pomegranate molasses and some ground black pepper into a food processor or blender, and whizz to a paste. Divide between 2 large food bags, add a chicken to each, then squeeze out the air and seal before giving everything a good squelch to coat thoroughly. Marinate for 24-48 hrs in the fridge, turning and squishing every so often.
• Fire up a barbecue and let the flames die down, or heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Lift the chicken out of the bags and season well with salt. Barbecue or roast the chicken for 25-30 mins on each side until crisp and cooked through. Set aside on a platter, loosely cover with foil, to rest while you do the apricots. If you roasted rather than barbecued, keep the tin juices warm for serving.
• Put the apricots in a small, snug roasting tin. Whisk the preserved lemon, honey, orange blossom and vinegar with some seasoning. Pour over the apricots and roast, or sit on the barbecue, for 20 mins until soft.
• Serve the chicken with any cooking juices, the apricots and saffron yogurt.