Too Good Not to Share

I never ate a pear growing up, at least not that I can remember.  I don’t know if it was because they weren’t readily available in the area, too cost prohibitive to buy or they just weren’t on my mom’s radar.  Whatever it was, I was an adult before I ever tried one.

And I’ll have to admit I wasn’t hugely impressed when I did.  It’s the texture thing.

But then I discovered my all-time favorite cocktail, the Pear Blossom, and I was suddenly on board with the idea of pears.  Not long after, Carley made this delicious dish for one of our themed dinners, and I was fully appreciative of this fruit I had ignored most of my life.

So it wasn’t much of a leap for me to decide to try them out in dessert form, and this was what I pieced together from a variety of sources, but mostly from Dorie Greenspan’s recipe.

I’ve prepared this both ways:  by poaching my own pears (as I mention here), and by using canned (make sure they're water packed and not in syrup).  The home-poached method gets an edge in results in my book (and the pears themselves seem to be easier to deal with), but the canned variety are perfectly acceptable.  The result is delicious and ‘light’ tasting, although with all of the butter involved, obviously it isn’t really light.

But it contains fruit, so that practically makes it a health food, right?

Almond Pear Tart

Dough

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick plus 1 Tbs very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk

Pears

3 medium pears, firm but ripe
1 lemon
1 stick cinnamon
3 cups water
1 cup Riesling (you can also use only water if you’d like)
1 1/4 cups sugar

Almond Cream

6 Tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup ground blanched almonds
2 tsp flour
1 tsp cornstarch
1 large egg
2 tsp dark rum or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Prepare the dough:  Preheat oven to 350°.  Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Pulse briefly to combine.  Scatter the butter pieces evenly over the flour mixture.  Pulse until the butter has been evenly distributed with the largest pieces being the size of peas.  Add the egg yolk and pulse in longer bursts of about 10 seconds each, just until dough begins to clump together.  Turn out on to work surface and very lightly bring the dough together with your hands.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes.  Press dough into a tart pan with a removable bottom.  Press a sheet of foil evenly over the dough and weight down with beans or pie weights.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Remove the foil and weights and set aside until ready to fill.

Prepare the pears:  Combine all of the ingredients for the pears, except for the pears themselves, in a large saucepan and place over medium-high heat.  Peel, halve and core the pears.  Submerge in liquid in the pan.  Bring just to a simmer and allow to continue to simmer for 15 minutes, or just until the pears are tender.  Remove from liquid onto a plate and allow to cool.

In the same food processor you used for the dough (I don’t even bother to wash it first since the ingredients are so similar), combine the butter and sugar and process until smooth.  Add the almonds, flour and cornstarch and pulse to combine.  Add the egg and rum or vanilla and process just until combined.

Bringing it all together:  Spread the almond cream evenly over the partially baked tart shell.  Slice pears cross-wise and fan slightly by pressing down.  Transfer to tart pan over almond cream with the bottom end of the pear at the edge of the pan, fanning the pear toward the center.

Return tart to oven and bake an additional 40 minutes, or until almond cream is puffed and golden.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Not Just for the Guys

Since my journey into the world of bacon combined with sugar went so well, I thought I’d whip up a batch of something bacon-y for a co-worker with a birthday this week. But I couldn’t resist a wee bit of a taste test. You know, just to be sure he was getting quality stuff.

I’m thoughtful like that.

Anyway, I haven’t gotten a review from him (If I had actually been a thoughtful person, I would have included something to spread it ON along with the jar he received), but I can say that this is something that I would happily spread on a burger bun, or make into bruschcetta. And it will make an appearance once I get my hands on some green tomatoes, that I can assure you.

Bacon’s not just for the guys, you know.

Bacon Onion Pear Marmalade

4 slices of lean bacon, fat reserved
2 medium sized onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 bottle hard apple cider, divided
1/2 cup dried pear, roughly chopped
1/3 cup brown sugar
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Fry bacon in a skillet until crispy. Remove from pan to paper towels, reserving bacon grease. Using the reserved bacon fat, slowly caramelize the onions until reduced in size and golden brown (15 to 20 minutes), stirring often.

While the onions are caramelizing, soak the chopped pear in half the bottle of hard cider. Combine the pear/cider mixture along with the remaining bottle of cider with the caramelized onions. Add the mustard, vinegar and brown sugar to the pot. Season with pepper. Turn the heat up to medium high and reduce the mixture until very thick, stirring often. This will take about 10 minutes. About ¾ of the way through the cooking process, once most of the liquid has evaporated, crumble the bacon and add to the pan.

However You Pronounce It

Sometime over the course of the last year or so I decided to stop making excuses for not doing the things I wanted to and just DO THEM. I talked about starting a blog for years before actually doing it. And before I even knew what blogging was I had a plan for putting down into some kind of tangible format my culinary journey, if only so my kids could have something to look at. I was going to start by taming that stack of food mags, doggedly wend my way through all of the recipes I wanted to try, and put into a perfect, logical order all of the ones I deemed worthy of keeping.

But there were so MANY.

And who has the TIME???

Then last year I forced myself to make the leap and at least START. Baby steps, Grasshopper. And while I can’t really say that the stack of magazines and recipes has gotten any smaller, blogging has at least has forced me to stay on task somewhat. It’s also made me (slightly) less likely to eat a bag of popcorn for dinner when I think I’m not in the mood to cook.

I’ve also gotten serious about exercising regularly. Not because I wanted to be a ‘hot mom’ or anything but because I like food enough that I want to be able to continue to enjoy it on my terms. I don’t want my menu dictated to me by a doctor.

And finally, I decided to set aside the notion that I needed to have a bigger living space if I wanted to cook and entertain for friends. ‘Bollocks’, as my friends in Newcastle would say. Not only has there been enough space, but ‘eating in’ has given me the opportunity to really enjoy the company of friends, instead of feeling like we’re on some kind of time allotted outing that ends as soon as the waiter brings the check to usher us out the door.

But I’m rambling.

Saturday evening was one of those hang out and enjoy the company of friends kind of nights. No schedules. No rush. No wondering how much to tip the waiter.

And as a glaring deviation from my usual m.o., I actually cooked something REALLY HEALTHY. There was no butter to be found in this meal. Well, ok, I didn’t ADD any butter to this meal. Obviously, the little puff pastry ‘lids’ were chock full of the stuff, but considering that the original rendition of this was wrapped in the pastry and served with a cream sauce, I thought I did pretty well.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pomegranate and Balsamic Glazed Salmon with Sautéed Leeks
 
2 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, separated
1 tsp dried tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup white wine
6 Tbs pomegranate juice
4 Tbs brown sugar
4 Tbs balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs Dijon mustard
2 tsp cornstarch
A pinch (or two) of cayenne pepper
2 lbs salmon fillets, cut into portion sized pieces

Heat oven to 300º.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, heat 2 Tbs of olive oil.  Add the leeks and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to soften.  Add tarragon and season with salt and pepper.  Deglaze pan with wine and continue to cook until wine evaporates.  Remove to a bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan, add the pomegranate juice, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, cornstarch and cayenne.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and allow to reduce until the mixture is of glaze consistency.

In the meantime, heat another 2 Tbs oil in the sauté pan over medium-high heat until the pan is hot.  Season the salmon with salt and pepper and add to the pan.  Sear briefly on each side, about 2 minutes each (for about a 2 - 3" thick slice of salmon).

Place salmon in an oven proof dish (or leave it in the pan you cooked it in if it can go into the oven).  Brush salmon with glaze and transfer to oven.  Cook just until the salmon is translucent and registers 125º internally, about 7 - 10 minutes.

** Serving idea:  I adapted this as a low-fat, sugar-free recipe for a friend by substituting Splenda brown sugar blend in the glaze, and rather than wrapping the salmon in puff pastry (as originally called for), I just cut puff pastry into wedges and baked them in the oven, using the wedges as little 'caps'.


In keeping with the 'healthy' theme, I decided to try something I've been reading about but haven't gotten around to trying....  Quinoa.  In reading up on the stuff, I swear it used to grow wild where I lived growing up (in the South) and was just another weed.  Kind of tickles me that it's the 'in' thing now.

Apparently, the proper pronunciation of quinoa is "KEEN-WAH".  OBVIOUSLY.  Of course the joke the entire night was in trying to get it right and not revert to the more logical "QUIN-O-AH".  Offspring gave up and started referring to it as 'couscous rice'.  Don't blame me.  I'm just her mother.

Anyway, I will have to say that I thought the stuff was pretty tasty.  I used a tri-color mix, just to make it pretty.

If you have been wanting to try it but haven't quite convinced yourself to do so, go ahead and give it a shot.  It's got a nutty flavor and sure beats the heck out of bran in the flavor department (haven't we all tried a 'healthy' muffin with the consistency of sawdust?).  And it's very versatile in what you can add to it.

 

Quinoa with Butternut Squash, Pears and Sage

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed (in all honesty, I used a Delicata)

1 cup quinoa

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs butter (I substituted olive oil in this particular instance)
6 small sage leaves
1 pear, peeled and diced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 Meyer lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 400º.   Place cubed squash on a small roasting pan, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.  Bake just until squash is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, thoroughly rinse your quinoa, drain well, and add to a medium saucepan.  Add water and about 1/2 a teaspoon of salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and allow to simmer for 10 - 12 minutes.  Remove from heat, allow to sit another 5 minutes, and then fluff with a fork.

In a sauté pan heat 1 Tbs oil and add hazelnuts.  Allow to toast just a minute or two, then remove the nuts.  Add pear cubes and sauté until pear is just softened, about 2 minutes.  Add roasted squash to the pan, season with salt and pepper, then add the mustard and lemon juice.  Thoroughly combine and then add to the quinoa pan, along with the nuts.

In the same sauté pan, heat the butter until it sizzles.  Add sage leaves and fry just until they crisp up and are starting to brown at the edges.  Drain on a paper towel.  Crumble 3 - 4 of the leaves and add to quinoa mixture.  Stir to combine.  Use the remaining leaves for garnish.

Elevating Rice

By far, the thing that we turn to the most for winter fare is risotto.  Not only is it a hearty dish, but there's something comforting and relaxing about making it.

Back when Offspring #2 was just a wee lass, it was kind of our 'thing' to do together.  I'd let her stir while I fussed around the kitchen with other things.  Even now, with her busy schedule, we still enjoy some mommy-daughter bonding, even if I'm manning the pan, and she's bent over the computer, furiously pounding out yet another paper.

This is a slight variation of a risotto I've been making for years.

Pear and Green Apple Risotto with Toasted Almonds

2 Tbs. butter, divided
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 shallot, finely diced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1/4 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
4 cups (roughly) chicken stock, heated
1 small Granny Smith apple, diced
1 small pear, diced
1/4 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

The only real trick to making risotto is getting everything set up first...

Pour chicken stock in saucepan and turn on low heat.  Meanwhile, put together your mis en place (as seen here).

And for me, at least, part of the ritual of making risotto is relaxing with a glass of wine.  So if that's how you roll, go ahead and pour now.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt 1 Tbs. butter and add olive oil.  When butter has started to bubble, add shallot and sauté for a minute or two and then add garlic.  Continue to cook and stir until shallot become translucent.  Add rice to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 - 3 minutes.  Add white wine.  Cook and stir until wine is almost evaporated, then add a ladleful of chicken stock.  Stir slowly (preferably with a slotted utensil of some kind) until chicken stock has almost evaporated.  Add another ladle of chicken stock and repeat. 

After about the 3rd or 4th ladleful, add the thyme, apple and pear.  Season with salt and pepper and continue adding in stock as before.  You're wanting a creamy consistency (sometimes I have to quickly open a can of stock or add a little water to the stock in the pan).  Once the rice has absorbed all the liquid it's going to take, add the last Tbs. of butter, the parsley and the cheese.  Stir until thoroughly combined.   Serve immediately topped with the toasted almonds.

Just Had to Share

C was kind enough to let me post the recipe and a photo of her stuffed pears from this weekend.  They were fabulous!  And I will have to agree with her that this would also make a great spread on a sandwich or crackers.

Pears with Stilton, Cream and Walnuts
(adapted from England's Heritage Food and Cooking)

1/2 cup cream cheese
4 oz Stilton cheese with apricots (available at Trader Joe's)
2-3 Tbsp half and half
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp butter
3 ripe pears
1 tbsp lemon juice
salad leaves
salt
pepper

Dressing:
4 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp sugar
4 Tbsp olive oil

Cream together the cream cheese and Stilton cheese. Add a few grinds of black pepper, then 2-3 Tbsp half and half and stir until creamy. Set aside.

Heat a cast iron skillet on medium heat and melt the butter in the pan. Add the chopped walnuts and toast for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Add a dash or two of salt to the toasting nuts. Remove from heat and place in separate bowl and allow to cool. Once cool, add to cheese mixture and stir to combine.

Cover mixture and chill until ready to use.

Fill a bowl large enough to hold three pears with ice water and add 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Peel the pears, then cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the core. Place cut and peeled pear halves into the ice water to keep them from turning brown.

Whisk dressing ingredients together in a separate bowl.

Place salad leaves on plate. Drain pears from ice water and pat dry using a kitchen towel. Scoop cheese mixture into balls to fill the hollowed out cores. Spoon dressing over pears and serve.