10 mission recipes

Beer pairing suggestion: American India pale ale or amber ale. The Stone World Bistro & Gardens, in Escondido, California, serves wood-grilled trout with black mission fig butter to make it taste even milder and sweeter. Mission figs are available in the dried fruit section of most large supermarkets. Untreated wood planks for grilling are available in grilling and barbecue sections of hardware store s as well as some supermarkets.

Slow-cooker chicken with orange juice concentrate, cinnamon, cloves, halved grapes, and toasted almonds. The Spanish Mission-style sweet-savory braise with hot sauce kick.

Quick vegetarian chili with kidney beans, six vegetables, and a tomato-chili base ready in 30 minutes. Packed with carrots, zucchini, peppers, and celery.

A great breakfast, a lot of nutrition and great flavor too.

Mission-style chicken breasts smothered in a smoky chipotle sour cream sauce with melted cheese. Made with a from-scratch chipotle paste using dried chiles, garlic, and slow-fried aromatics.

Flourless chocolate cake studded with dried mission figs simmered in dark rum. Dense, fudgy, and boozy with deep cocoa flavor. Serve chilled with soft whipped cream for a dinner party dessert that feels effortlessly sophisticated.

Creamy ham and mushroom casserole with cheddar bechamel, steamed broccoli, and tender ham cubes over rice. A leftover-ham rescue mission with a from-scratch cheese sauce.

This reminds me of dad saying he just can't stand peanut butter--"salvation sav" on his mission. But somehow he always seemed to like the dessert that tasted like peanut butter. He deserves to be teased.

Fig and ricotta crostini with fresh basil ribbons and aged balsamic vinegar on toasted baguette. Elegant five-ingredient Italian appetizer ready in 20 minutes.

Carob pineapple thisbies are no-bake raw cookies made from pureed figs, dates, and carob powder mixed with pineapple, walnuts, and raisins, then rolled in cinnamon coconut.