Oven Roasted Figs Stuffed with Spiced Goat Cheese

HomeClinics & ProgramsELLICSR KitchenOven Roasted Figs Stuffed with Spiced Goat Cheese

Skill Level	Easy

Preparation Time	10 minutes	Total Time	35 minutes
Servings	8	Cost Per Serving	$0.80

4	Fresh Figs
1/4 cup	Goat Cheese
1 tbsp	Orange Zest
3	Whole Cloves, or 1/4 tsp ground
3 inch piece	Cinnamon Stick, or 1 tsp ground
1	Whole Star Anise, or 1/2 tsp ground
2 tbsp	Pistachio, crushed
1 tbsp	Honey

Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees F.
Add your cloves, cinnamon stick, and whole star anise to a dry pan over medium heat. Toast for about 5 minutes, until you can really smell the spices. Remove from heat and pulverize in a pestle and mortar or grind in a spice grinder.
Combine goat cheese with about 2 tsp of the spice mixture and the orange zest.
Slice the figs in half. Gently push ½ tbsp of goat cheese into the center of each fig half.
Place each fig half skin-side down on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Drizzle the figs with some crushed pistachios and honey.
Bake the figs for about 25 minutes until they are soft and sticky.

PDF link to nutrition facts table for Oven Roasted Figs Stuffed with Goat Cheese

Did you know that figs contain more calcium than any other fruit? One cup of dried figs provides 240 mg of calcium, almost as much as a cup of milk (about 300 mg).
Is cheese a good source of vitamin D? It depends. Milk is usually fortified with 100 IU of vitamin D per cup. Yogurt, cheese and other dairy products sometimes have vitamin D added, but not always. Check the label to be sure. If you don’t consume dairy products, choose a milk alternative such as almond milk, rice milk or soymilk that has been fortified with calcium and vitamin D.
Are you over the age of 50? Health Canada recommends you take a supplement of 400 IU of vitamin D every day. This is because older adults don’t produce as much vitamin D through exposure to sunlight.
The vitamin D that we get from food or produce through exposure to sunlight or is not the active form, the form that is used by the body. It has to be converted by the liver and the kidneys to produce the active form of vitamin D, called calcitriol.
When it comes to vitamin D, you actually can save it for a rainy day! Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, meaning your body can store extra amounts. That’s why taking excessive amounts of vitamin D can be a problem. However, most people find it easier to think about their daily requirements than how much they may have stored.