One Pan Wonders

There aren't many websites around that do what I do, so I was pleased to find this one.  Chef Glenn runs BackpackingChef.com, a website devoted to helping backpackers prepare their own meals for the trail.

http://www.backpackingchef.com/

Please welcome, Glen, The Backpacking Chef!

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Fig Nutties

When I was a kid, I was always happy when mom brought home a package of Fig Newtons®. They had all that healthy fig mixture in the middle of the cookie but you couldn’t eat too many since they were so filling. A perfect snack mom and boy could agree on!

I’m a homemade cookie eater nowadays, made from scratch, not the boxed mixes. I don’t even walk down the cookie and cracker aisle anymore. Why? I don’t want to eat partially hydrogenated oil – which is in almost every box. I made this decision after doing a lot of research. Rather than write a long article about why you shouldn’t eat partially hydrogenated oils, aka “trans fat,” you could visit the Weston Price Foundation website for a free PDF brochure on the topic.

http://www.westonaprice.org/images/pdfs/Trifold-TransFats2009.pdf

Cookie eaters – do not despair! You can make your own healthy trial snacks instead of eating junk food. If you like the taste and health benefits of figs make some Fig Nutties.

Ingredients in Fig Nutties:

DRIED FIGS, ALMONDS

Ingredients in Fig Newtons®:

ENRICHED FLOUR, RIBOFLAVIN, FIGS PRESERVED WITH SULFUR DIOXIDE, CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, SOYBEAN OIL, WHEY (FROM MILK), PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL, SALT, BAKING SODA, CALCIUM LACTATE, MALIC ACID, SOY LECITHIN, POTASSIUM SORBATE ADDED TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR.

How to Make Fig Nutties

Cut off stems and slice dried figs lengthwise into quarters. The dried figs I used already had a light coating of powdered sugar. You could roll your figs in powdered sugar if desired.

Stretch the sticky side of the fig quarters around the almonds. For smaller figs, you might need to cut the almonds in half lengthwise. You could also just cut into the end of the fig and “stuff” it with one or two almonds. My grandmother used to do that with dates and pecans.

Eat “as is” or put them in a dehydrator at 135 degrees for a couple hours to tighten the figs around the almonds.

Health Benefits:

Approximately 100 calories per ten Fig Nutties.

Figs – good source of carbohydrates for quick energy plus dietary fiber, potassium, and manganese.

Almonds – good source of monounsaturated fats for sustained energy plus manganese, vitamin E, magnesium, tryptophan, copper, vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and phosphorus.