Showing posts with label pears. Show all posts

Really Mushy Pears

The chocolate is perfect for hiding brown pears.

Chocolate-Pear Bread Pudding

Makes one 9x5 inch loaf

8 ounces challah, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 Warren pears, peeled, cored, and sliced ¼-inch thick (or whatever you have)
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon juice or juice syrup (my substitution for brandy, also can use 1 3/4 t. brandy extract plus 5 1/4 t. water)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups half-and-half
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped crème fraiche or creme, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the challah on a large baking sheet and toast until golden, about 10 minutes.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter with 3 tablespoons sugar. Add the pears and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the pears are almost tender (but not mushy) and the liquid has reduced to a thick, syrupy glaze, 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle the pears with 1 teaspoon brandy.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup sugar, cocoa, remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt. Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the half-and-half to a simmer. Whisk in the cocoa mixture until smooth. Pour the hot liquid over the chopped chocolate and stir until chocolate melts completely. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs and yolks. Slowly beat in the hot chocolate mixture until combined. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons brandy and vanilla.
Line a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with parchment, allowing enough paper to hang over the edges of the pan. Spray with baking spray or coat lightly with butter. Layer half the pears into the bottom of the pan, top with half the bread. Repeat. Pour the chocolate custard over the mixture. Press down lightly with the back of a spoon so that the bread absorbs the custard. Let stand for 1 hour, pressing the bread down occasionally to soak up more of the liquid.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the loaf pan inside a large, deep roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the loaf pan. Bake until pudding is firm to the touch and the bread is golden, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Chill pudding for at least 4 hours, until very firm. Grasp the parchment by the overhanging edges and lift out the pudding. Slice and serve, topped with whipped crème fraiche or creme.

Comice Pears

Pronounced kuh-MEES. A fragrant juicy tender pear. It's like eating delicious perfume.

Pear Everywhere

Oozing all over the counter.

My pears went from perfect to rotting mush overnight. I threw some away and thought what I am doing! I found this recipe for the rest of them. Can I dig the disposed out of the garbage?

This one definitely needed double the topping. I love the way the brown cinnamon hides the brown pears.

Harvest Pear Crisp
From Cooking Light
Cinnamon-spiced pears bake under a crunchy streusel topping in this easy pear crisp. Assemble the dessert ahead of time, and put it in the oven when guests arrive. Or bake it earlier in the day and serve it at room temperature. Serve with low-fat vanilla ice cream.

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

6 cups Anjou or Bartlett pears, cored and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 3 pounds)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup regular oats
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine pears and lemon juice in a 2-quart baking dish; toss gently to coat. Combine granulated sugar, cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; stir with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture to pear mixture; toss well to coat.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt in a food processor; pulse 2 times or until combined. Add chilled butter; pulse 6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add oats and walnuts; pulse 2 times. Sprinkle flour mixture evenly over pear mixture.
Bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until pears are tender and topping is golden brown. Cool 20 minutes on a wire rack; serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutritional Information

Calories:285 (24% from fat)
Fat:7.7g (sat 3g,mono 1.8g,poly 2.2g)
Protein:2.4g
Carbohydrate:55.5g
Fiber:5.1g
Cholesterol:12mg
Iron:1.2mg
Sodium:197mg
Calcium:42mg

Preserving

Before it frosts, preserve the fresh herbs from your garden. Here's how.

From Bon Appetit

Treat fresh herbs just like fresh flowers.

Trim the stems at a 45-degree angle, and place in a glass with two inches of water. Refrigerate for up to two weeks (cover the leaves with an unsealed plastic bag to minimize odor absorption), replacing the water if it gets cloudy.

Dry hardy-leaf herbs like thyme, oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves.
Working with one herb variety at a time, wash thoroughly, blot dry, and spread the leaves in a single layer on a paper towel. Microwave in 30-second intervals, turning leaves over for even drying, until crisp and brittle. Microwave times will vary, but the whole process should take no more than two to three minutes total.

Freeze soft-leaf herbs like dill, mint, parsley, basil, and chives.
Place whole sprigs, chopped leaves, or whole leaves in a tightly sealed plastic bag for up to six months. When cooking, defrosting is unnecessary--just break off leaves and add them to the skillet.

Update: I have found my oven to be the best dehydrator for herbs. I have a dehydrator option which puts the temperature at 140 F. If you don't have this just set the to lowest temperature (probably 180 F). I spread my herbs out on cookie sheets and place in oven. You just have to watch to determine when they are dry enough. If I need to leave the house and they aren't finished, I just turn off the oven and let them sit in the oven. I assess them when I get back and turn back on the oven if needed.

Preserving Peaches

This year I preserved peaches differently in addition to my old way.

Freezing Peaches/Pears Whole

This is the easiest thing ever. Place 4 unwashed peaches in a freezer quart bag and freeze. Be sure to label the bag as unwashed. When ready to use, simple run the peach under lukewarm water until the skin peels off easily. The peach will not be brown. Let sit for a couple of minutes and slice to use/eat. This works great with pears as well!

Freezing Sliced Peaches/Pears

Wash, peel and slice fruit into large bowl. Sprinkle generously with Fruit Fresh and gently mix so as to coat the fruit. Turn onto large cooking sheet layered with freezer paper, parchment paper, or wax paper (doesn't work as well) making sure there is space between each piece of fruit. Freeze until hard. Place in freezer bags. Press out air and seal. Freeze. Great for smoothies, fruit salads, and pies.

Freezing Peach Slices in Orange Juice
Wash, peel and slice peaches. Measure out 4 cups and place in freezer quart bag. Cover peaches with orange juice. Press out air and seal. Freeze. Thaw overnight in freezer or place frozen peaches in microwave and heat for 2-3 min, depending on microwave. Smoothie in a bag! Or just eat as is.

Frozen Peach Pie Filling
From Paula Deen
Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 9-inch pie, top crust
1/2 stick of butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons quick cooking tapioca
3 1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoon Fruit Fresh, fruit preservative
9 lb fresh peaches
1 teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg

Directions

To peel the peaches, first bring a pot of water to a boil. Using a paring knife, score the peaches with an X into the skins only. Gently drop the peaches in the boiling water for approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, remove the peaches and place them in iced water for a minute. The skins should slip off easily. If not, place back into the boiling water for another 30 seconds.
Slice the peaches and put them in a bowl. Sprinkle Fresh Fruit and sugar, and stir into peaches. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well.
Line 4 pie pans with heavy foil or freezer paper, placing a piece of plastic wrap over foil. Put 4 to 5 cups filling each pan. Loosely fold wrapping around pie and freeze until firm. When filling is frozen solid, remove from pans and wrap tightly. Return to freezer until ready to use.
On pie baking day, simply place frozen pie filling in pie shell, add half a stick of butter and sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg. Top pie with an additional pastry crust, seal well, and bake for 50 to 60 minutes in preheated 375 degree oven.

Canning Peaches/Pears

Adapted from Heavenly Homemaker
Make sure your jars have no nicks or scratches in them, especially the tops. Sanitize jars by washing them in the dishwasher. Boil the lids and bands/rings for 2 minutes to sterilize and keep in hot water until ready to use.
In a large pot or canner, fill with water and heat, keeping water warm until ready to use. The water level does not have to be enough to cover the jars completely. Two-thirds of the jars can be covered by water and the steam will seal the jars. To clarify, fill the pot with enough water to cover 2/3 of the jars or more. The jars can be covered with water.
Spoon 1 T. Fruit Fresh into each jar.
Make honey syrup:
Ratio:
2 T. honey
5 c. water
Heat to mix honey into water and keep warm until ready to use.
Prepare peaches. Wash, peel and slice into jars leaving 1/2 inch head space.
(Boiling water technique from Paula Deen: To peel the peaches, first bring a pot of water to a boil. Using a paring knife, score the peaches with an X into the skins only. Gently drop the peaches in the boiling water for approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, remove the peaches and place them in iced water for a minute. The skins should slip off easily. If not, place back into the boiling water for another 30 seconds.)
Can press down on peaches slightly to pack more into jars.
Using a canning funnel, pour syrup into jars over peaches leaving 1/2 inch head space. Remove bubbles by using the handle of a wooden spoon and gently pushing it along the sides of the jar to the bottom of the jar. Wiggle slightly. Work it down all sides of the jar. Do not use metal as this will scratch the jar and compromise its integrity.
Wipe jar tops and place lids on then the band/rings and screw on tightly (not man tight).
Place jars with peaches in them in warm water bath. Cover. Bring to a boil and boil for 25 minutes. Turn off heat. Carefully lift rack with hot jars out of water if using a canner. Otherwise, lift jars out with a jar lifter or hot pad. Place on counter on some so as not to burn your counter. Let stand in draft free place for 12-24 hours undisturbed. Check seals by pressing middle of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

Peach Applesauce

When making applesauce, add peaches in a 1:4 ratio, peaches to apples.

All Things Arugula

Grilled Pizza With Steak, Pear, and Arugula

Serves 4

From Southern Living

Ingredients

Vegetable cooking spray
1/2 pound flank steak
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar
1 (12-inch) pre-baked pizza crust
1 red Bartlett pear, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cups fresh arugula, divided
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
Freshly cracked pepper

Preparation

1. Coat cold cooking grate of grill with cooking spray, and place on grill. Preheat grill to 350° (medium heat).
2. Season flank steak with salt and pepper.
3. Grill steak, covered with grill lid, at 350° (medium heat) 8 to 10 minutes on each side or to desired degree of doneness. Cover and let stand 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, whisk together oil and vinegar in a small bowl.
5. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin strips. Cut strips into bite-size pieces (about 1 cup).
6. Place pizza crust directly on hot cooking grate. Brush top of crust with oil mixture; layer with pear slices, 1 cup arugula, cheese, and beef strips.
7. Grill, covered with grill lid, 4 minutes. Rotate pizza one-quarter turn; grill, covered with grill lid, 5 to 6 more minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove pizza from grill, and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup arugula and freshly cracked pepper.
Oven-Baked Pizza With Steak, Pear, and Arugula: Assemble pizza as directed, and bake according to package directions for pizza crust.

Easy Pizza Dough
From allrecipes.com
Se rves 15

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

Directions

Combine flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Mix in oil and warm water. Spread out on a large pizza pan. Top as desired.
Bake at 375 degrees C (190 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 112 | Total Fat: 2.1g | Cholesterol: 0mg

Penne Salad with Roast Beef, Arugula, Radicchio, and Capers

From Food and Wine Quick from Scratch
Yield: Serves 4

Sliced rare roast beef from the deli counter turns pasta salad into dinner. Sweet balsamic vinegar balances the slightly bitter greens, and shavings of Parmesan cheese on top are a deliciously stylish garnish.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

3/4 pound penne

1/4 pound arugula (about 2 bunches), stems removed, leaves torn into pieces

1 head radicchio (about 6 ounces), torn into pieces

1/4 cup drained capers

6 tablespoons olive oil

3 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

1/2 pound thin-sliced cooked roast beef, cut into strips

2-ounce chunk parmesan cheese, or 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the penne until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain thoroughly.

In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the arugula, radicchio, capers, oil, vinegar, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Add the roast beef and toss again.

TO SERVE: Mound the salad on plates. Top each with strips of Parmesan shaved from the chunk of cheese with a vegetable peeler or with the grated Parmesan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper over the salads.

Nutrition Facts per Serving
Yield: Yield: Serves 4

Calories:

650

Fat. Total:

28g

Fiber:

Carbohydrates, Total:

70g

Sodium:

1615mg

% Cal. from Fat:

39%

Cholesterol:

38mg

Protein:

30g