My {Date} Fix

Old, sunburned people.
Dates are like miniature,
old, sunburned people.

Do I have your attention now? I want to make my first food post about something that everyone can relate to -- no, not old, sunburned people -- but first dates. Case in point: I was talking with my friend Rhonda* today about the awkwardness of not only the first date itself, but the looming period beforehand. Basically, she is going to lunch with this guy next week but isn't completely sure if this is just a casual meal or some stepping stone for a possible blossoming romance.

*name has been changed...or has it?

Can I just proudly add that this applies directly to my last post? Lunch. The thought provoking question if this is even a date in the first place has evolved from food.

But I digress. I'm here to talk about the fruit kind of dates today and the lovely things you can do with them. I found a recipe in yesterday's Arizona Republic for pork loin sandwich* that I have transformed to not only make it easier for you, but a tad healthier as well.

Pork Roast with Sweet Peach and Date Sauce

Serves 4

For pork:
3 lbs boneless pork loin roast
1 tbsp olive oil

For sauce:
1 cup pitted dates, chopped
2 fresh peaches, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp Smart Balance Light buttery spread
4 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp spiced rum -- I used the berry guava rum my parents brought back from their recent cruise.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat roast with olive oil and season as desired. Cover with foil and cook for one hour. Remove from oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before thinly slicing. 


In a separate saucepan, melt butter on medium high heat. Add sugar until dissolved, then add rum, peaches and dates. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens.

Pour sauce onto pork immediately. Enjoy!

*Believe it or not, the original recipe did not call for dates. But simply by adding this one ingredient, you can cut half the butter and 1/3 of the brown sugar! Because of their natural sweetness, dates can be an excellent substitute for refined sugars. They also are rich in fiber, antioxidants, iron and potassium.

*The original recipe was a sandwich, but by cutting out the bread your eliminate the extra work and carbs to make a delicious dinner! It also called for barbecue sauce, but I thought the peach and date sauce was good enough on its own!

And in case you want to give it a try, here is the original recipe.

I like to think of fruit dates like first dates. Dates are weird looking on the outside -- still, kind of like old, sunburned people -- but have all these awesome vitamins and nutritional benefits after you come to accept their outward appearance. So my tip to all you skeptical people out there is to give your next first date a chance! Even if it is awkward, they may be a great person on the inside. 

This being said, if they actually look like an old, sunburned person, I'd ask for the check and run.