figs

I have a few confessions:

I abuse the 5 second rule… yet I’m not a religious floor-cleaner.
I ate a giant piece of flour-less chocolate cake this weekend. It was sprinkled with flaky sea salt and drizzled with olive oil. And it was worth every sugar-y calorie.
Sometimes rather than washing the sheets I just wash the pillowcases.
It’s not unusual for me to “fluff” the laundry no less than 3 times.
My least favorite part of blogging is taking and editing pictures. Can’t I just Instagram everything?!
I spaced out and missed last week’s Meatless Mondays from A-Z challenge. Sorry Heather.

Last week’s theme was edamame, which I LOVE. I did link up a tasty old recipe – Edamame Jicima Salad – I still felt like I owed Heather a little something extra this week… so I went for the 1-2 punch with the ingredient themes.

You might remember when I did this with the Overachieving Cauliflower Crust Pizza. I used all 3 of the first ingredients – artichokes, beets, and capers.

For my recipe this week, I made a gain salad of Kamut berries (see this post for more info on Kamut), edamame and figs. Never one to eat a mild dish, I spiced this up with my favorite flavors: cilantro and sriracha.

I know there are a few of you who aren’t fans of cilantro. Basil or parsley would also work well here!

The figs may sound a little odd to add to this combo (another Strange But Good candidate?), but their sweetness worked well to tame the sriracha heat. The slight sweetness of the edamame also had a cooling effect. I am a texture feign, so I especially adored the chewy Kamut berries with the crisp edamame and soft figs.

I wanted to keep it vegan for Heather, but another great add here would be some Greek yogurt. Kamut berries are high in protein. The yogurt would give you even more protein, and also add a luscious creaminess.

Aren’t figs gorgeous?

[Tweet “Figs and Sriracha come together for a sweet heat in this whole grain salad!”]

Workout Recap

It has been quite the workout week! Monday’s leg day with my trainer left me damn near paralyzed. My second-day-soreness on Wednesday left me gripping the handicap rail in the bathroom.

BUT… it’s paying off. This exciting news this week came on Saturday (leg day #2). I got the green light from my trainer. I AM competing in November!!!!!!

No, I won’t be to the point we want yet. I’ll probably be the leanest person there (read: too lean), but I’m going to work even harder to grow between now and then ~~(and maybe have another piece of chocolate cake)~~. BAM.

Workout Recap (9/10 – 9/16):

Monday – Legs (w/ trainer), 2 mile walk
Tuesday – Rest, 2 mile walk
Wednesday – Back/Triceps, Calf raises, 3 mile walk
Thursday – Shoulders/Butt, 2 mile walk
Friday – Chest/Biceps, Calf raises
Saturday – Legs (w/ trainer), 2 mile walk, 50 push-ups
Sunday – Rest-ish… 2.8 mile sprints

Fig and Edamame Kamut Berries with Sriracha-Lime Vinaigrette

by Laura Hall

Prep Time: 10 mins

Keywords: entree salad low-sugar nut-free soy-free vegan vegetarian fig kamut lime cilantro Asian

Ingredients (2 servings, easily doubled)

1 T cilantro, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 large lime
1/2 tsp avocado oil
1/2 tsp chili garlic sriracha
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 C cooked Kamut berries (or other whole grain)
1/4 C edamame
3 fresh mission figs, chopped

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together cilantro, lime juice, oil, sriracha, and cumin to make the vinaigrette.

Place berries in medium bowl and toss with vinaigrette.

Stir in edamame and figs.

***

Time for important decisions… like what color should my suit be. Blue? Green? Aqua?

What is your confession today?

Is your next-day or second-day soreness worse?

Seasonal baked goods are worth a cheat meal.

As if I need an excuse…

When a friend brought me figs from her dad’s yard, I knew exactly what I was going to do with them.

You could use dried figs to make these scones, but why? The juicy sweet fruit-candy is plentiful right now.

This recipe for fig-laced scones is one of my all-time favorites. I make a batch once a year when figs are in season… it’s self-preservation, really. If I make them, I eat them.

Over time I have lightened the recipe up a tad, but not to the detriment of taste or texture.

These are not your typical dried out coffee shop scones. They are quite moist, flaky, and full of rich figgy flavor. These free-form scones could masquerade as a muffin top in a pinch.

To sweeten these I used some “real” sugar, but also incorporated a NuNaturals Stevia blend. Using a mix rather than replacing all of the real thing avoids any problem of aftertaste.

Maple extract is another great addition – you can achieve that rich maple flavor without having to add sugary syrup. If you don’t have maple extract, try adding a vanilla or almond extract.

If you make these now, you’ll have them ready to eat while you cheer on the 4th of July race-runners. Or to inhale after YOU run your own race. I’ll be cheerleading for the world’s largest 10K with one of these and a cup of coffee in hand. ~~Stupid knee injury.~~

[Tweet “These Fig Scones are 100x better than anything in a coffee shop!”]

Fluffy Fig Scones

by Laura Hall

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Keywords: bake breakfast brunch snack figs spring summer

Ingredients (14 scones)

4 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C NuNaturals Fiber Baking Blend (or more regular sugar)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 stick (1/2 C) salted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 pound fresh figs (~6 large)
1 C buttermilk (I made mine with just under 1C almond milk and 1T lemon juice)
1/2 C heavy whipping cream
1/4 C unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 tsp maple extract
1 egg yolk
1 T cream
Palm (or raw) sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix the dry ingredients, then cut in the butter until you have pea-sized pieces. I find it’s easiest to just use my (clean) hands to do this.

Once combined, dice up your figs into 1 inch pieces and toss them in with the dry ingredients/butter mix.

Add milk, cream applesauce, and extract and briefly stir, just enough to bring the batter together. Do NOT over-mix.

the batter is moist, so I just make these free-form scones. Scoop ~1/4 C blob of the batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Mix together your egg yolk and cream to form a wash. Lightly brush the scones with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown.

***

Totally off subject, but I laughed so hard when a friend posted this on Facebook that I have to share:

“NBC Gymnastics Trials Announcer: ‘This young lady has certainly turned into quite the confident beam-worker.’
If I said that about a 14 year-old girl, I’d be arrested.”

What are your plans for the 4th? Any race-runners?

What is your favorite scone flavor?

Fig and Edamame Salad with Sriracha-Lime Vinaigrette

Seasonal Baking: Fluffy Fig Scones

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