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Dec 31

MY NEW YEAR’S DIET/CLEANSE

Every year I make the same New Year’s resolution, to lose weight, but as with everything else this year is different. Normally, the extra pounds feel as if a back-pack full of holiday treats were strapped on and as soon as I undo the buckles, the pack will fall off and I’ll briskly walk on. This year I feel sluggish, as though I were overstuffed from inside. The holidays just iced the cake (sorry).

I know this sensation is caused by months of relative inactivity, especially over the summer, along with constant access to snacks. I feel bloated and slightly ill and have a real urge to eat ‘clean’ until I’m myself again. I have no desire to even see sweets, starches, rich gravies or fatty foods and I know I won’t be tempted to cheat, because the temptations hold no allure. I’m going on a Cleanse.

Don’t misunderstand, I’m not giving up flavor, quite the opposite, I’m going to concentrate on heightening natural food flavors. Nor am I going to fill my fridge with diet foods, invest in an OTC program or hop on a current fab diet wagon. I’m going to base my meals on lean protein, especially fish and foods with high complex carbohydrate value, loaded with fiber. Luckily, the best of these foods are winter and root vegetables, carrots, beets, turnips, squash, sweet potatoes, but broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, green beans and the lettuces are important too, because of their high fiber content.

In my book “How to Understand Carbohydrates” I point out that protein builds muscle, carbohydrates provide energy and fiber is responsible for keeping the body functioning smoothly. There are two types of carbohydrates; simple and complex. Simple carbs are sugars and are quite direct in their function. They are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and give us a boost, temporarily, but because they are so rapidly absorbed, the effect doesn’t last long and the excess is banked in the body as fat cells.

Complex carbohydrates are found in potatoes, pasta, rice, bread and in smaller amounts in fruits and vegetables. These are digested into sugars which the body then converts into glucose, our cells’ main source of energy. Glucose is absorbed slowly and it enters the bloodstream at a constant rate to fuel our every action. What the body can’t use at the time, it creates cells to store the excess—you guessed it! Also FAT CELLS! This is how carbs got the bad rep. If we eat more than we need, our body doesn’t get rid of the surplus, and banks it in new cells we recognize as fat.

The purpose of a cleanse is to focus on eating the high carb, high fiber vegetables, to give us enough energy, satisfy our hunger and still provide the fiber needed to flush out our system—to cleanse it. Starchier carbohydrates such as bread and pasta can‘t do this because they don’t contain enough fiber. In fact, considering the starring roles that they play in various forms in holiday fare, it’s a safe bet that they are partially responsible for the bloated sensation we often experience and are best avoided. Instead, serve a second vegetable to fill out a menu and rice or another grain to add bulk-if needed.

The concept of cleansing isn’t new. What is new is the attention given to turning the experience into a gourmet adventure though using condiments, herbs, spices, nuts and seeds for taste rather than sauces and rich ingredients such as butter, mayonnaise and gobs of melted cheese. After a few days your body should be clear enough to give you an accurate reading of how much weight you need to lose and the type of diet that will best serve you. The important thing is that you will feel better and your body will be ready for whichever step you opt for next.

I’m passing on a few recipes and tips that work for me;

SNACKS:

Kale Chips: Trim the leafy part away from the heavy stems of 1lb. kale and cut cross wise into 2” slices. (Save stems for another use) Wash leaves well and spin dry or spread on towels. Toss in a bowl with 2 tsp. oil (or spray with oil) ¾ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper or garlic powder—both optional. Bake on a parchment lined pan in a preheated 325 deg. oven 15min. until crisp but not brown. Serve soon.

Coconut Chips: Many stores carry wedges of coconut meat. Otherwise be sure you know how to extract the meat before starting this recipe. Using a potato peeler, slice strips of meat and place them on parchment paper in a pan. Sprinkle lightly with salt and bake as for kale just until edges turn golden. Cool completely and store air-tight but be careful they’re delicate.

VEGETABLES:

Remember frozen vegetables and fruits have the same nutritional value as fresh an appearance when cooked. Canned sweet potatoes and beets, especially the whole ones, can be prepared in all the ways fresh can. If the nuts and seeds mentioned in a recipe serve as garnishes used to make the texture of a dish interesting, they may be interchangeable with the verities sold in dollar stores in larger quantity than most other markets.

Roasted vegetables are a real favorite. They’re easy to do, taste great and the flavor can be changed with the choice of seasoning or herb used. The cooking time and temperature varies with the choice of vegetable, but the process is the same. Simply toss or spray with a little oil, toss or sprinkle with the seasoning of choice and bake on a foil-covered baking sheet until done. Usually I like to drizzle a bit of Balsamic vinegar over them about half-way through, especially beets and pearl onions.

Roasted fruits are another great flavor enhancer . I’ve long loved peaches with poultry, but lately have become addicted to slices of citrus fruits with fish and salads. Like vegetables, the cooking time can vary with the texture of the fruit, but generally they are roasted at 400 deg. for about 15 min. just until their natural sugar begins to caramelize.

Cauliflower Confetti: This can be done with frozen as well as fresh. Just be sure the cauliflower is firm enough to chop. If fresh, separate into florets. Blanch briefly until crisp-tender. Pulse to the size of small peas or optionally, rice. Season with lemon pepper or bouillon granules and set aside. Use as you would for rice, pasta or mashed potatoes, as a bedding or a side. If needed, reheat in microwave 30 sec. Serves 2-3

Spinach Tart: (1) 10oz box, chopped spinach. Drain, put in a greased pie plate or shallow casserole. Mix with 1 raw egg and 1 packet chicken or beef flavored bouillon granules. Top with a sprinkle of nutmeg, and bake along with meat .for 20 min at 350 degrees or microwave for 1 min. Serves 3-4

ENTREES:

SPANISH “MACKERAL”- Serves 4-This has become a catch all name for a classic way to prepare fish. Mackerel is excellent, but any firm white fish, preferably one that can be rendered skinless, works as well. Ask your Fish Monger what is fresh. This is my own version, and I use frozen Whiting fillets (which need to be skinned) or Tilapia.

4 boneless, skinless fillets of a firm white fish @ 1 ½ – 2 lbs. see chart

2 large green bell peppers

2 medium onions

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(1) 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

½ tsp. lemon pepper + ¼ tsp.

4 tsp. oil

Paprika

Cayenne pepper – Optional

Cut each fillet in half so the two parts fit together to form a rough square if needed/The fish does not need to be thawed. Cut four pieces of foil by tearing two 10 inch lengths from the roll and cutting them crosswise in half; crimp the edges to form little pans and spray each with oil. Core and seed the peppers, and cut them in 1 inch pieces, assigning half a pepper to each foil pan. Peel and cut the onions in half lengthwise, slice and arrange over the peppers, using ½ an onion per portion. Pour 1 tsp. oil and 1/8 tsp. lemon pepper on the vegetables. Spread the ½ cup of diced tomatoes, with juice, equally on each vegetable pile, and top with a sprinkle of Cayenne pepper if desired. Cover the vegetables with the fish. Top each portion with a dash of lemon pepper. Sprinkle Paprika over the tops and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 min, 35min if unthawed frozen fish was used, or until the fish flakes. Remove carefully from foil to plates, using a spatula to keep the stack of vegetables and fish intact.

*Note: The servings of fish can be cooked in individual, greased ramekins.

** This is good served over spaghetti squash or use cauliflower confetti as bedding or a side.

Herb Crusted Tilapia: Serves 2

The choice of herbs used is optional here, parsley and sage are also, good, but avoid the ones with a more assertive flavor, or use them sparingly so the flavor of the fish comes through.
2 Tilapia fillets
2 Tbs. butter – melted-or 1 Tbs. butter and 1 Tbs. of a nut oil. Canola is tasteless and works well .
1 Tbs. dried marjoram
1 Tbs. dried oregano
Salt and pepper
Mix the herbs with salt and pepper to taste. An empty shaker or bottle is a help here. Place the fish in an oven-proof dish and pour the butter (oil) over them. Shake the herbs over to coat well and gently press them in to be sure they adhere. Bake the fish at 325 deg. for 5-8 min. per inch of width until it flakes easily. Serve hot with lemon wedges.
Suggested sides: 1) 10 oz. box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained of excess water. Mix with a slightly beaten egg, and 1 envelope of bouillon granules, chicken or beef. Top with a sprinkle of nutmeg. Microwave 2 min. or until firm in center or cook with carrots about 20 min.
2) ½ lb. baby carrots, lightly sprayed with cooking spray and dusted with rosemary. Bake at 400 deg. about ½ hr. until done.
Suggested sides: Pickled red beets (May 21,2020) and spinach tart-see above

Salmon with Tomatoes and Greens: Serves 2
2 thick center slices of salmon (slices work better than fillets)
(1) 5 oz. bag spinach leaves or equal amount of Kale leaves, thick stems removed
(1) 15 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
1 Tbs. oil –optional
¼ tsp. garlic powder
Skin the salmon and bake on a non-stick surface at 350 deg. for 5 min, per inch of width or until flakes. When fish is done, put greens in a flat-bottom dish, top with oil if using, tomatoes with juice and garlic. Microwave for 1-2 min. until greens are slightly wilted and tomatoes are warm. Plate greens topped with tomatoes and place a piece of fish diagonally across each plate. Serve at once.
Suggested side: 2 portions of brown rice, made according to directions. Finish with 1 tsp. lemon juice and 1 Tbs. parsley or cilantro flakes stirred in.
Suggested sides: Wild or brown rice or a grain

Mustard Chicken: Serves 4 Can be partially cooked in the morning or even night before, chilled, and simply placed in the oven to finish, add 10 min to the higher temperature and 15 min to the lower. Keep liquid level constant. No need to baste. Freezes, and can be cooked frozen, add 15 min to ½ hr. to the cooking time, depending on the oven temperature.

4 chicken quarters, breast with wings or thighs with legs.

4 Tbs. Dijon or Spicy Brown mustard

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 envelope chicken bouillon

2 cups water – estimate

Salt for brining

Rinse and clean chicken well. Place in enough water to cover and add 2 Tbs. salt to make brine and soak for at least 15min. Rinse well. Lift skin from meat with a rounded utensil like a butter knife, and fill each pocket with 1 Tbs. mustard. Place chicken pieces in an ovenproof pan, just large enough to hold them easily, and pour over enough water to fill 1 – 1½ inches in the pan. Sprinkle the envelope of bouillon on the water, and ½ tsp. of garlic powder on each of the pieces. Best baked in a 350 degree oven for 1 hr., but can be done at 375 degrees for 45min. Serve with pan juices on the side. Add water if necessary to maintain water level in pan.
Suggested sides: Roast carrots and Brussels sprouts with the chicken, flavored with garlic powder and rosemary.

Teriyaki Basted Garlic Dusted Chicken: Serves 4
4 chicken pieces, breast or thighs
About 1 tsp. Teriyaki sauce per piece, and 1 Tbs. reserved (Optional)
2 tsp. garlic powder
½ envelope chicken bouillon
1 cup water – estimate –more if needed
Salt for brining
Rinse and clean chicken well. Place in enough water to cover and add 2 Tbs. salt to make brine and soak for at least 15min. Rinse well. Lift skin from meat with a rounded utensil like a butter knife, and fill each pocket with Teriyaki Sauce. Place chicken pieces in an ovenproof pan, large enough to fit comfortably. Add water to measure 11/2 inches in the pan. Sprinkle the bouillon on the water, add reserved 1Tbs. Teriyaki sauce and sprinkle ½ tsp. of garlic powder on each of the pieces for a good dusting. Best baked in a 350 degree oven for 1 hr., but can be done at 375 degrees for 45min. Maintain water level but do not baste. Serve with pan juices on the side. Optionally, strain and chill pan juice to make aspic to serve on the side.
Suggested sides: Wash and cut 2 medium-large potatoes in half. Leave enough room to place the halves, cut side down in the pan to cook along with the chicken. They won’t need further seasoning.
2) Steamed broccoli crowns with a sprinkling of lemon pepper.

Pork Chops Basil: Serves 4

This is an old family favorite, and it also works well for roasts, consult charts for times per pound. It can be refrigerated for three days, or even frozen for two weeks, after the baking, so it can be made ahead and quickly ready on a rushed night. Veal chops or turkey cutlets may be substituted for the pork
(8) ½ inch thick center pork chops well-trimmed
½ cup flour –optional
2 Tbs. garlic powder
3 Tbs. dried basil
½ a small can frozen orange juice concentrate
Water to dilute juice
¼ cup cream sherry
Sprinkle half the garlic powder and half the basil in the bottom of an oven proof dish or pan that will hold the chops closely but not overlapping. If using, dredge the chops in the flour, by shaking in a plastic bag, one at a time, to lightly coat. Place in pan, and sprinkle the rest of the garlic and basil over them. Cover and seal the pan with foil. Bake, preferably at 250 degrees for 2 hours, but acceptable at 350 degrees for one hour. Remove from oven, turn on broiler, and lift foil. Dilute orange juice with the sherry and just enough water to come almost to the top level of the chops in the pan, and pour over the chops. Broil until chops brown and the sauce thickens.
Suggested sides: 2 boxes 10 oz. each, cooked squash. Drain well, mix with 1 Tbs. butter, salt, pepper and honey to taste. Heat in microwave according to package directions.
2) 1 ½ cups green beans. French, cut or Italian, steamed and sprinkled with lemon-pepper seasoning.

Dec 24

DINNERS WITH JOY-A DIFFERENT TYPE OF COOKBOOK

This Menu-Cookbook is truly unique, which makes it a great, welcome gift for a wide range of people. Most cookbooks have a limited range of recipients, an avid cook, a fan of the celebrity chef, a devotee of the cuisine or diet featured. This book is intended as a tool, perfect for busy people who like good food but have limited time to shop and cook which nowadays is just about everyone.

The book provides a ready answer for that nagging question at the end of a long day; “What’s for dinner?” and teaches by example how to avoid that stressful dilemma permanently. Nutritional, restaurant quality recipes have been modified, including easily divisible and multiplied quantities, for easy, even advanced prep and quick cooking. Moreover, the introduction contains information on fats, carbohydrates, choosing and using poultry, meats and seafood as well as making gravies and sauces and their various uses from dips to desserts. This information facilitates future planning and shopping.

However, the basic difference with this cookbook is that it’s based on a professional chef’s approach to menu planning. Twelve weeks of healthy, balanced entrées, with side recipe suggestions, are arranged in three monthly groups. Each weekly menu listing is accompanied by cooking tips covering everything from specific directions to general information like freezing raw and cooked foods, a dessert recipe, and most importantly a detailed shopping list complete with pantry check. Learning how to compile a weekly shopping list is the key to relieving the stress of meal planning.

One can simply pull up a week’s list, optionally cross off ingredients of a recipe they don’t want or substitute those of one they do, and head to, or call it in to the store or virtual shopper. Having a ready list is a major time saver. It is important, though, to keep the food categories intact, especially if altering a list. Maintaining the list order is needed to make the menu planning process easy but it’s even more important to keep food shopping organized whether doing it directly, recording it for later, or particularly if using virtual shopping .

Used as learning tools the lists in the book illustrate how to effortless it can be to provision a week’s meals. It’s very relaxing to know that in one trip you have the whole week covered—completely—no quick trips to pick up something!

The weekly entrees themselves are varied; a poultry, a pork, a beef, a seafood, an ethnic dish, a casserole and a fun meal. They are presented in the same sequence only to simplify editing. They can be switched or replaced as desired. Again, the important fact is that all ingredients required for the week are on the list, entered in the proper category for shopping ease or easy to delete if a recipe is rejected.

For the busy person’s convenience, several recipes can be prepared ahead for the night there will be no time to cook, or made in excess for anticipated guests and frozen. Those recipes are noted and freezing, plus re-heating instructions are included. Also included are suitable suggestions for restricted diets where indicated, mainly for the pork, ham and shellfish recipes. As an example the recipe for Pork Tangier, with notation is included below.

Does the book work? Well a friend had a printed copy on her desk recently, when an associate known for his lack of cooking skills was intrigued by a recipe. He was amazed when he was able to successfully make it and bought the book. He’s not on Master Chef, but he is now interested in trying dishes at home and has even entertained. The recipe that started him off, Chicken in Lemon Wine Sauce is below, as is a sample of that week’s menu with its shopping list. I’m using it as an example in this posting. Any special notations or references were covered in the week’s tips section, which is not included here.

Dinners With Joy is available on this site’s Books/Products section, on Amazon in paperback and Kindle in digital form as well as our Etsy shop, Dinner With Joy, at its current price of $14.99. It truly makes a great gift! No wrapping needed—no shipping costs-instant delivery!

Chicken in Lemon-Wine Sauce

A classic dish, with recipes found in various forms, but always a good choice.

Sauté-Skillet
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup flour
2 Tbs. cooking oil – -canola
2 Tbs. butter
1 small onion diced
2 cloves garlic sliced
1 lemon – zested and juiced
1/3 cup white wine – – recommend dry vermouth
¾ cup water
1/2 envelope chicken bouillon granules
½ cup chopped fresh parsley – – or 2 Tbs. dried
2 tsp. garlic powder

Pound chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap, to an even thickness, and dredge in flour. Place 1 Tbs. oil in a skillet over medium heat and begin to cook chicken, add 2 Tbs. butter, and brown chicken in both sides – @ 6 min. total. Remove chicken to a plate. Add 1Tbs. oil to pan and sauté onion until soft @ 2 min.; add sliced garlic and sauté 1 min, more. Add wine, and deglaze pan by scraping all the browned bits from the surface with a wooden spoon. Add water, bouillon powder, 1 Tbs. lemon juice, and return chicken to pan. Reduce heat and cook, uncovered, over medium- low about 8-10 min. until chicken is done and sauce thickens.

Meanwhile, make what the Italians call “Gremolata” by mixing the parsley, garlic powder and lemon zest in a small bowl.
Plate the chicken pieces individually with sauce. Top each with a small portion of gremolata, and pass the rest.

Suggested sides: 1 lb. fresh sugar snap peas or (1) 10 oz. . box frozen. Blanch in boiling water @ 2 min. Drain and toss with 1Tbs. olive oil and 1/8 tsp. lemon pepper.

4 sweet potatoes, washed, dried and lightly rubbed with butter. Pierce Xs with a fork in the tops, and microwave, on a paper towel, as oven directs @ 6-9 min. Split tops and fill with butter or sour cream. For an added taste boost, add a drizzle of maple syrup.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

(PORK TANGIER
This looks complicated, and sounds exotic, but it’s really very simple to make with few steps, the taste is fun, and a refreshing change from the everyday ho-hum, usually a favorite with kids. Turkey cutlets may be substituted for the pork.*
Skillet and Large Saucepan

1 ½ lbs. lean pork in 1 ½ inch cubes (suggest sliced loin or boneless chops)*

3 Tbs. flour

1 large onion in 1” dice

1 rib celery in 1” pieces cut on an angle

1 small or ½ cup baby carrot(s) cut on an angle (see. optional sides for the Salmon recipe-#4 this week- and adjust shopping list)

4 cloves garlic diced

1 ½ tsp. paprika

1tsp. coriander

2 tsp. curry powder

1tsp. grated fresh ginger root or ½ tsp. powdered

2 envelopes chicken bouillon granules – -divided

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11/3 cup water

Juice of 1 orange and zest

¼ cup raisons

3 Tbs. cooking oil

1 apple – peeled cored in 1” dice

1 box couscous – – preferably with pine nuts

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 cup chopped nuts- – cashews, pecans, walnuts, almonds, even peanuts for optional garnish
In a large skillet, over medium heat, warm 1 Tbs. oil and sauté onion, carrot and celery until onion softens, add garlic for 1 min Add 2 Tbs. oil, then pork and paprika, coriander, curry and ginger. .Brown pork 4 -5 min, adding up to 1/3 cup of water if mixture begins to stick. Add orange juice, remainder of water, 1 bouillon packet, raisons and apple. Cook, covered, about 10 min., stirring occasionally, until pork is cooked and sauce thickens. .

Meanwhile, cook couscous according to directions, adding garlic powder and 1 envelope chicken bouillon as removed from heat.

Serve couscous topped with pork and garnished with orange zest and optional chopped nuts.

Optional Side: (1) 12 oz. bag of baby spinach, half an onion sliced thin, and a drained can of mandarin oranges tossed with a citrus, or raspberry vinaigrette.)
——————————————————————————————————————————————

Weekly Menu Sample

Month 1, Week 1
1.Chicken in Lemon Wine Sauce
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Sugar Snap Peas

2. Pork Tangier
Spinach Orange Salad

3. Steak in Red Wine
Broccoli Crowns
Broiled Irish Potatoes

4. Salmon in Lemon-Caper Sauce
Zucchini Medley
Roasted Baby Carrots

5. Glamorous Ham Casserole
Caesar Salad

6. Double-Punch Lasagna Roll-Ups
Italian Green Beans
Bread Sticks

7. Classic Fajitas

8. Apple Rustica

SAMPLE SHOPPING LIST
1) This is a complete list of all the ingredients needed to make 4 servings of every entree and side on this week’s menu. The quantities are in even amounts for easy multiplication or division to fit your household requirements.
2) If you want to delete a recipe and/or substitute another, simply remove the ingredients for that recipe and add the new ones-in proper quantity. The list is still your tool.
3) The Pantry Check items are considered basic kitchen supplies, kept in amounts intended for multiple uses. The quantities needed each week are given in the recipes. Make note of them when checking the pantry to learn if an item needs to be restocked.
4) This list is a valuable time and money saving tool. Learn to use it and it will reward you well.

MONTH 01 / WEEK 01
Cooking Tips
A word before I begin this, our first list. As I stated in the introduction, I’ll try not to request too many pantry items at once or be exotic in the things I use, but I do want to help you build a basic pantry, so that very soon you’ll automatically know you have most of the things on each week’s list and shorten your shopping time. For example, every week, I will mention flour, salt and pepper. They are basic, as are sugar and some herbs and spices. I will also be listing other items that you may want to consider in the “staples” category to make your life easier, fresh onions, rice, eggs, butter, cooking and salad oils, bread crumbs and wines are in this group. So buy with an eye to the future. I like to use bouillon powder. It can add a lot of taste, with minimum effort, but brands vary greatly in sodium content. Boxed packets seem to contain less than the bottled granules, offer a low-sodium option, stay fresh longer, and the pre-measured amounts are easier to control . So I prefer them, but if you want to adjust the recipe amount higher according to taste, you can, just restrict the salt. Never use cubes. They don’t dissolve well, nor do they impart the flavor.

PANTRY CHECK
White wine – – suggestion dry vermouth
Dry red wine
Cream sherry
Flour – all-purpose*
Beef and chicken bouillon granule packets, NOT cubes
Salt and pepper
Lemon pepper
Garlic powder-not garlic salt
Paprika
Dried parsley
Curry powder
Cumin powder
Coriander powder
Ginger powder
Nutmeg- grated
Dried Oregano
Dried basil
Dried thyme
Cooking oil
Salad oil
Bread crumbs- flavored or regular
Worcestershire sauce
Dijon or Spicy brown mustard
Cinnamon

MARKET
GROCERIES
(1) 2oz jar of capers
1 box lasagna noodles
(1)4 oz. can mushrooms-stems& pieces
½ cup raisins
1 box couscous—garlic or pine nuts
(8) 8 inch flour tortillas
(2) 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
(1) 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cups packaged pre-cooked white rice
(1) pkg. Crisco quarters
Parchment paper

MEATS
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
11/2 lb. boneless lean pork for cubing
(4) 5oz beef tenderloin steaks
(4) 5oz salmon fillets
(3) ¼ lb. slices cooked ham
1 lb. ground turkey
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
OR 12 oz. beef steak

PRODUCE
3 lb. bag of onions
1 lb. bag peeled baby carrots
1 bunch celery
1 bulb garlic or 1 jar chopped
2 lemons
8 oz. sliced button mushrooms
2 plum tomatoes
2 green bell peppers
1 red bell pepper
1 orange
Fresh ginger root – small piece
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 ½ lbs. apples + 1 apple

DAIRY
24 oz. sour cream
4 oz. wedge parmesan cheese
8 oz. shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 quart milk
1 cup light cream or ½ & ½
½ lb. butter
Dozen eggs- 2 this week rest next
8 oz. guacamole
4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese

OPTIONAL SIDES
(2) 14oz cans small whole white potatoes
4 sweet potatoes
(1) 12 oz. bag baby spinach leaves
1 lb. fresh or (1) 10 oz. box frozen sweet pea pods
2 large crowns of fresh broccoli
(1) 12 oz. bag baby greens
(1) 12 oz. bag romaine lettuce – or 1lb head
1 lbs. fresh zucchini
1 10 oz. package frozen Italian green beans
1 box bread sticks- – look for the thin ones called grissini
Choices of salad dressings- – if needed

Dec 17

THE GIFT OF CRANBERRIES

Most of us are facing the challenge of altering the ways we’re celebrating winter holidays this year, including the special dinner menus. Perhaps a traditional recipe has too many servings, the usual roast is too large or, worst of all, the person who always brought a certain dish can’t be there. The trick is to make the meals festive without nostalgia and that is best solved with a change of menu. Add an au Gratin vegetable (Nov. 5, 2020) or do sweet potatoes a new way (Nov.12, 2020), changing the stuffing can make a big flavor difference (Nov. 19, 2020) and changing the roast creates a whole new dinner.

However there is one food, which in one of its recipes, can perk up any meal and any course of a meal-Cranberries. If you want to brighten the look of the table-think cranberries. If you want to spruce up the flavors-think cranberries. If you just want to freshen the traditional meal-think cranberries. Cranberries’ bright color is decorative note on the table adding to the presentation and their sweet-tart flavor compliments other foods. Best of all they’re easy to work with, contrary to kitchen myth. Cranberries are such a traditional part of our winter holiday menus that it’s hard to understand there are still misconceptions about them.

Another is that cranberries are native just to North America. Actually, it was the Native North Americans who realized their food value and began cultivation. Early settlers immediately acquired a taste for the berries and found new ways to prepare them. They can be eaten raw, but are very bitter and need to be combined with a sweet.

Misconception number three, thanks to T.V. commercials is that cranberries grow in or under water. They grow in soil, but at harvest their fields, or ’bogs’, are flooded. As the water submerges the plants, it plucks the ripe berries off the bushes and they float to the surface where they are scooped off. It’s more labor efficient than hand picking them and winterizes the bogs because cranberries survive cold weather best frozen in ice. The water is drained in spring and the growth cycle begins again.

Obviously, the harvest is a singular event, which explains why Their agricultural and climatic requirements make wide global cultivation difficult.

This leads to the forth misconception, that cranberries don’t freeze. They do, beautifully, cooked or raw, but there simply aren’t enough of them to make it commercially viable. Home freezing is easy however, simply transfer the cranberries to a zip-lock bag, press out air, and freeze it laid flat. The bright color provides a happy ending to a meal in any season.

However, first two facts in working with cranberries
1) Cranberries freeze well straight from their container in air-tight bags and can be used without thawing.
2) The skins do ‘pop’ when heated, so recipes may suggest the berries be chopped, halved or, for dry pan baking whole, pin-pricked. Chopping is easy with a processer. Halving is simplified by lining the berries up on a cutting board or platter with a ‘gully’ or groove and slicing through them with a long, sharp knife. Pricking is just what it sounds like, poking a hole in each berry’s skin with a pin, but, again, lining them up in a groove speeds the task.

Below are 14 recipes for you to try. You’ll be glad you did! If you want to see more recipes, including Cranberry Sherbet, Cranberry-Pear Compote in Syrup, Angel Nests, Cranberry-Raisin Pie, Cranberry Cake, James Beard’s special Angel Pie, just click the posts for Nov. 30, 2017, Dec.7, 2017, Nov. 29, 2018.

RECIPES

Cranberry Spritzer: Serves 4
2 ½ cups cranberry juice
1 cup apple juice
4 cinnamon sticks
Chilled ginger ale or ginger beer
Freeze the cranberry juice in a flat pan for about 2 hr. until ice forms around edges. Mash with a fork and refreeze for 3hr.or until firm. Meanwhile, bring the apple juice and cinnamon just to a boil; remove from heat, cool and chill. Put the frozen cranberry juice and apple juice without the cinnamon in a blender. Process briefly until slushy and pile into cocktail glasses, topping with the ginger ale. Garnish with the cinnamon sticks.
NOTE: Optionally add 2 oz. liquor of choice when blending.

Relish: Yield about 3 cups*-Freezes well**-Adapted from Recipes 1-2-3 by Rozanne Gold
1 lb. cranberries
1 cup dried cherries OR 1 large orange, seeded but not peeled OR cherries + 1/3 cup slivers orange peel
1 cup or more packed brown sugar to taste
Process all ingredients to a rough chop. Allow to stand at room temperature for 4 hrs. to meld flavors. Chill at least 4 days before serving. Use with meats.
* 1 cup crushed pineapple or finely diced apple can be added after processing, to alter flavor
** Can also be used as a base for My Easy Salsa. Good with poultry and meats.
NOTE: Keeps chilled for several weeks.

Compote: Yield about 2 ¾ cups cranberries- From Recipes 1-2-3 by Rozanne Gold
3 cups cranberries
2/3 cup brown sugar
¾ cup dried cherries
12 black peppercorns OR freshly ground black pepper
Pinch salt
Bring sugar, salt and pepper to a boil in 1 cup water, add fruits. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 min. until berries have popped and sauce has thickened. Cool then chill.

My Easy Cranberry Salsa: Yield a bit over 1 cup with recipe, over 2 cups using canned sauce —all measurements are approximate and can be adjusted. (1) 14 oz. can whole berry sauce can be substituted for the *marked ingredients, making this super easy

1 cup cranberries*
¼ cup packed brown sugar*
¼ cup finely diced onion
Meat of 1 orange
1/3 cup orange peel in fine Julianne no more than ½ inch long
½ tsp. finely diced jarred jalapeño pepper- optional and to taste OR freshly ground black pepper
Mix everything together, adjust flavors and allow to sit, covered, in the refrigerator for several days before serving. Excellent with poultry, pork, ham and veal.
NOTE: Keeps chilled for several weeks

Easy Strudel: Serves 6-8-From Recipes 1-2-3 by Rozanne Gold
2 ½ cups compote
5 Tbs. unsalted butter-melted
7 sheets phyllo dough
Lay sheets of phyllo on a flat surface and coat each lightly with butter using a pastry brush, restacking them as you do. Spoon cranberry compote parallel to one of the short sides of the phyllo leaving a 3 inch margin and roll up tightly like a jelly roll. Place, seam side down on a baking sheet. Brush top with remaining butter and bake in a 375 deg. oven for 25 min. Cool and serve in slices. Best consumed within 3 hrs. of baking. DO NOT refrigerate.

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Muffins: For 1 dozen muffins
To dry mix, packaged or homemade, add ¾ cup roughly chopped cranberries . Stir well, to prevent clumping in batter when liquid is added. Bake as per directions.

Cranberry Baked Brie: This can be made with a wheel or wedge of Brie.
Preheat oven to 400 deg. Bring refrigerated pastry sheet to room temperature by placing on the counter until workable. Spread top of cheese liberally with whole berry sauce, canned or homemade. If necessary cut the pie crust to fit a wedge, leave whole for a wheel. Place the pastry over the cheese and turn brie over and seal opening. Place the sealed side onto a greased baking pan. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until crust is light golden brown.

Cranberry Stuffing: Yield 6 cups
2 cups ground cranberries
½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
8 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs*
Salt and pepper
1Tbs . sage
2 tsp. thyme
½ cup chopped celery
3 Tbs. chopped parsley
¾ cups water or ½ cup orange juice and ¼ cup water or sufficient to moisten
Sauté cranberries in butter until soft, about 5 min. stir in sugar. Mix crumbs with next 5 ingredients and add to berries with fluid. Cook until blended, stirring constantly, about 8 min. Can be packed lightly into poultry, used as stuffing in a crown roast or cooked alongside a roast in a lightly greased casserole until brown on top. This is especially good with poultry or pork.
* I would like to try this with all or half corn bread crumbs rather than white.

Cranberry, Pecan, Feta Salad: Serves 4-Great leftover dish
2 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey
1/3 cup toasted pecan or walnut pieces
1/3 cup dried cranberries (craisins)
4 cups coarsely shaved iceberg lettuce or Romaine
Raspberry-Pecan or Walnut vinaigrette to moisten-about ¼ cup
½ cup crumbled feta cheese for garnish
Salt and pepper-optional, I don’t use it
Layer the lettuce, meat, cranberries and nuts in a bowl. Add dressing and toss gently. Serve on plates or from bowl, garnished with cheese.

DESSERTS: Cranberry desserts are the perfect ending to a dinner. Their bright red color is cheery and seasonal; their sweet-sour slightly acidic taste is perfect after a rich entrée; their affinity for the cold makes them ideal for icy sweets and they’re very easy to work with.

Cranberry Orange Walnut Ice Cream: Serves 6-Very quick and easy to make.
2 cups cranberries
¾ cup sugar
1 orange –quartered, seeds removed
½ cup chopped, toasted walnuts
1 pint vanilla ice cream- softened
Coarsely chop berries and orange, with rind. Stir in sugar and blend fruit mix, making sure the orange rind is pulverized, add walnuts and stir into softened ice cream. Pour into a mold and freeze until firm. Unmold and serve garnished with cranberries and walnuts. Or spoon ice cream into a freezer container; a couple of hours before serving fill a decorative freezer-proof bowl with individual scoops of ice cream and spoon them into dessert dishes at table
*This ice cream recipe is packed with fruit. I love it this way but some people, especially children, may prefer it if the quantity of vanilla ice cream is doubled in proportion to the fruit.
NOTE: Keeps as long as commercial ice cream in the freezer.

Cranberry Refrigerator Cake: Serves 6-8-From America’s Cookbook- This is a wonderful holiday dessert to make with children
3 cups cranberries
1 ½ cups water
1/3 cup raisins
3 figs- finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
10 dates- finely chopped
1 cup sugar
1 small sponge or pound cake .Cook cranberries in water until skins pop; strain, pushing down on solids. Add fruits and nuts to strained juice, mix, cover and simmer 5 min .Remove from heat, add sugar, stir to dissolve and cool, return cranberries to mix. Line a greased mold with the cake slices, add a layer of the fruit mix, then a layer of cake, repeat, ending with cake. Chill in refrigerator, unmold and serve with whipped cream.
NOTE: Keeps for 2-3 days.

Cranberry-Nut Refrigerator Torte: Serves 12-16-From The Settlement Cookbook
2 ¼ cups flour
1 cup sugar
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. EACH baking powder AND baking soda
1 cup chopped walnuts
1cup cranberries
1 cup chopped dates
2 oranges – zest grated-juice reserved
2 eggs beaten
1 cup buttermilk OR plain yogurt (see note*)
¾ cup oil
1 cup orange juice-includes reserved juice from oranges
1cup sugar
Sift first 5 dry ingredients together. Stir in nuts, fruits and zest. Lightly beat or whisk eggs, buttermilk and oil and add to flour mixture. Stir until blended. Pour into a greased 10 inch tube pan. Bake in a 350 deg. pre-heated oven for 1 hr. Let stand in pan until lukewarm. Remove to a rack placed over a wide dish. Combine orange juice and 1 cup sugar and pour over cake. Set cake in a deep refrigerator or freezer proof dish and pour drippings over cake again. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 24hr. before serving. Dust top with sugar if desired.
NOTE: Cake keeps in refrigerator for 2 weeks or more, frozen for several months but thaw before serving.

Chocolate Cranberry Biscotti: Yield 30-Adapted from Diabetic Desserts. There are many recipes for these biscotti, but I chose this because it tastes wonderful and is acceptable for this very specific diet. The nutritional information is below.* The cocoa powder is optional for those who don’t like chocolate.
3 cups flour
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp. salt
3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup sliced toasted almonds
2 Tbs. skim milk
Combine first 4 ingredients. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla until well blended, add flour mix and beat to blend. Stir in fruit and nuts. Turn dough out on a lightly floured board and knead 4-6 times, roll into a 20 inch log, place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and brush with milk. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 30 min. Cool 10 min. and cut into 30 slices. Place slices on the cookie sheet and cook 20 min. turning once. Cool on racks and store airtight.
_____________________________________________________________________________
*Czlories-86, Calories fromfat-13%, Totalfat-1g., Saturated fat <1g., Protein -2g., Carbohydrate- 16g., Cholesterol-21mg., Sodium 108 mg., Dietary fiber-1g., DIETARY EXCHANGE-1 Starch
—————————————————————————————————————————–

Cranberry Cream Cheese Pie: Serves 6-8-From The Journal Cookbook
(1) 9 inch pie shell-almost baked
20 oz. cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 ½ Tbs. flour
¼ tsp. EACH orange and lemon zest
Pinch Salt
3 eggs, +1 egg white
2 Tbs. cream
½ tsp. vanilla
TOPPING
1 can whole cranberry sauce
2 Tbs. sugar
1 ½ Tbs. cornstarch
1 tsp. EACH lemon juice and zest
Whip the cheese fluffy; add the next 4 ingredients and beat to mix well. Add the eggs and white separately, beating well after each; add the cream and vanilla and mix until well blended. Pour in the pie shell and bake in a preheated 450 deg. oven 7 min. Reduce heat to200 deg. and bake 15 min. Cool.

Combine first 3 topping ingredients in a saucepan and stir over low heat until clear; blend in juice and zest. Cool and spread over cheese filling. Chill until serving.

Cranberry Crisp: Serves 6
12 oz. fresh cranberries=2 cups
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 egg
½ cup of flour
½ cup sugar
3/4 cup butter- melted
Lightly grease a 9 inch pie plate. Fill with berries, top with 1/3 cup sugar and nuts. Beat egg until foamy, beat in butter, flour and remaining sugar until batter is smooth. Pour over berries. Bake in a preheated 325 deg. oven until browned, about 45 min. This is best served warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
NOTE: This can be stored, before baking, the berries in the pie plate, covered, and the batter in a container in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Combine and bake. Probably can also be reheated in the microwave the day after baking.

Dec 10

NUTS-IMPRESSIVE DIY GIFTS

As I wrote on October 8, home-made gifts from the kitchen take on a new significance this year. No longer just a token greeting or ‘Thank You, they are a way to reach out to absent family members, tell them you miss them, want to share some of your holiday with them and hope to be with them next year.

I always planned a full line of hors d’oeuvres for the winter holidays, both for the family evenings at home, and more elaborate dishes for entertaining. I changed the selections each year to keep interest, but there was one constant, perennial, favorite, the home blanched, toasted, salted almonds. For 3 generations they had been an in-house treat, but that ended in 1983.

I needed to thank someone for a professional favor. A gift was inappropriate, flowers and candy appeared trite. I wanted something personalized to convey how appreciative I was without overstepping boundaries. I had my solution when I saw a display of nuts in a gourmet shop. Though very expensive, I knew those nuts weren’t as good as mine and the raw materials were quite reasonable, which resolved the awkward question of suitable price range, a frequent problem choosing gifts for strangers.

I bought a decorative tin, and filed it with 1 lb. of nuts. It was perfect. The nuts were enjoyed for themselves and with understanding of the effort I had put into making them. I had stumbled on an invaluable gifting secret. Nuts are an inexpensive raw food which, with minimal skill, effort, time and expense transforms into a product surpassing in taste, freshness and appeal its expensive, gourmet commercial counterparts.

Furthermore, depending on the packaging, the presentation can be elegant enough to impress a client or employer, charming enough to amply say Thank You, and personalized enough to please that special someone. Moreover, they’re stable enough to be mailed long distances.

Specifically, it’s the nuts featured in boutique gifts, almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, filberts (or hazelnuts) and macadamias. I’m excluding ground nuts because peanuts and Brazil nuts are major allergens. Although allergies to the other seven nuts are rare, play safe and inquire about the recipient before gifting.

For this ‘magic’ transformation to work, the nuts have to be raw, shelled, but otherwise unprocessed. Raw nuts are available in most supermarkets, some specialty food stores and even chain pharmacies but the most dependable way to always find them in quantity and quality is Amazon. They are sold in one pound units, costing, roughly, from $7.00 to $15.00, depending on the type of nut. The same unit, simply roasted and salted, purchased as a gourmet gift can cost from $35.00 to $55.00 or $60.00.

Buying the nuts raw and roasting them yourself is the key to the ‘fresh’ attractive appearance. Most commercially prepared nuts are seasoned by soaking them in a brine rather than hand salting them. As a result they often appear to have a gray filmy coating rather than a shiny golden color high-lighted by glistening grains of salt which distinguishes the high-end gourmet products.(See ‘Pistachios’ below for more on brining.)

Packaging is also a huge influence on achieving the desired effect. Gourmet products are usually sold in boxes or tins, both of which are easily found in great variety from dollar stores on up the price range. Of course, a special gift might need a more pricy presentation in which case these particular contents are elegant enough to do justice to their container.

The point is, that with little outlay, learning to process nuts, opens a wide window of gifting possibilities which goes a long way in solving any problems on your holiday list. Actually, I’ve found this useful for other occasions during the year, especially hosting and anniversaries. The best thing is that you can tailor each gift in perceived value to its recipient, without worrisome searching for ‘just the right thing.’

When buying, look for whole, raw, shelled nuts. The shelling is tedious and, if not expertly done, can result in a lot of breakage and consequently loss of money and time. Pistachios are the exception. Their shells pop open on the trees when they ripen, giving options in preparation and presentation explained below. Macadamias also need a bit of special roasting. Not only do they contain the highest percentage of fat, but they’re air dried before being sold commercially, hence they tend to burn quickly.

Filberts (hazelnuts) and almonds must be skinned . With filberts, it’s done by placing the warm nuts in a dish towel, allowing them to sit for 5-10 min. then rubbing them vigorously in the towel. The skins peel right off. They can then be salted or, if for appearance they should be more golden, return them to the oven for 2-3 min. and then salt them.

Almonds need to be blanched or boiled. Cover them with about 2 inches of water to spare in a pot and bring to boiling for about 3 min. turn off the heat and leave for 3 min. more. Drain the nuts, cool under cold water enough to handle, squeeze and the nut will slide out of the skin, ready for roasting. Allow about 30 min. for this process per pound of nuts.

Pistachios are roasted both in shell and out and can be bought raw both ways. The actual roasting is the same, so the choice is optional, usually determined by the intended presentation. Generally, in shell they are served solo* and shelled, in a mix. There is, however, a difference in preparation. Out-of-shell they’re salted after roasting like other nuts but in shell they’re soaked in a brine before roasting so the seasoning is on the nut, not the shell. To brine: soak the nuts per pound, in 1 cup water, 2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. citrus juice for 24 hr. Air dry for 24 hr. before roasting according to chart below.
*The dyed pistachios, once imported from Iran, are again available. The bright red shells cupping the green nuts are very decorative and especially festive at this season.

The actual roasting process is straightforward but requires attention because it can be tricky toward the end. You will need a sheet pan with sides, also called a jelly roll pan, large enough to hold a pound of nuts.(at least 11’x15’) If it isn’t non-stick, cover the bottom with foil. Add 1 tsp. butter* and melt it while the oven is preheating to the desired temperature, according to the chart below. Gently roll the nuts in the butter with a wooden spoon, arranging them in one layer. Repeat this action frequently while the nuts are baking so they brown evenly on both sides. They won’t change color at first, but once they begin to brown, they burn fast. It’s imperative to stay alert and remove the nuts from the oven the instant they reach desired doneness.

*The addition of a bit of fat acts like sun-tan oil. It insures that the browning is even from the start and provides a bit of protection until the nuts’ oil begins to come out. Some instructions call for vegetable or canola oil, but I prefer butter because it browns better and adds a bit of flavor.

Once roasted, turn the nuts out on a flat surface covered in paper towels, to absorb any excess oil, and sprinkle them liberally with salt, gently turning them to insure the salt reaches both sides. Allow them to cool totally, which will crisp them. Then be sure to store them in air-tight containers.

Raw nuts last for months in their original, commercial packaging, and I found that once opened, refrigeration maintains that shelf life. Roasted and salted, in air-tight containers, stored in a cool, dark, dry place they will keep 4-6 weeks. Moisture ruins the crispness, so don’t refrigerate the roasted ones and be aware, depending on the storage conditions, nuts go rancid quickly. So check them often.

Nuts must be roasted separately according to time and temperature for each type and it’s preferable to store them separately too. They tend to meld tastes and the difference in shapes rubs the salt off. Therefore, to maintain freshness and appearance, it’s best not to combine nuts into a mix until a few days before gifting or serving.

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It sounds like a tedious amount of caution, but it’s not. The different batches of nuts are stored as finished and the mixes can be compiled to suit the recipient or guest. Also, this way, one type can be offered alone or used for another purpose.

So if you want an elegant, personalized, tasteful and tasty gift, especially for those on your list who are hard to shop for, or are searching for a gift that is always appropriate, or perhaps need one that is impressive without costing a fortune, here’s the solution to your problem. What’s more, if you have a source, or use Amazon, you can buy it, make it and have it ready to present or serve in 3 days. In addition, it’s been my experience you can gain yourself a bit of ‘star status’ because these are well received and become frequent requests.

RECIPES

Roasted, Salted Nuts:

Follow the directions given above, using the times and temperatures listed on the chart below for each type of nut.
Hazelnuts—250-275deg.—20 min.
Macadamias –225-250 deg.—10-15min.
Pecans 325 deg. -15min
Pistachios 350 deg. 8min.
Walnuts 350deg. -15min.
Cashews 350deg. -15min.
Almonds 350 deg. 20 min.

Mixed Pesto Nuts:

Yield 4 cups
1 ½ cups pecan halves
1 ½ cups blanched almonds
1 cup walnut halves
3 Tbs. oil
2 Tbs. shelled pistachios or pine nuts
2 cloves minced garlic
2/3 cup chopped fresh basil
½ cup Parmesan cheese
½ tsp. salt
Make pesto by processing last 5 ingredients until well blended, slowly add oil until smooth. Preheat oven to 350 deg. and spread nuts out in a 15X 10 x ½ inch pan. Spread pesto over the nuts and bake13-15 min. stirring every 5 min., until toasted. Cool completely on paper towels and package as above.
NOTE: I see no reason why commercially made pesto can’t be used for this recipe.

Candied Nuts:

For 2 ½ cups whole nuts or unbroken halves of walnuts or pecans.

Sugared Pecans or Walnuts:

2 cups shelled pecan or walnut halves
1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 deg. Stir all ingredients together and spread on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 min. stirring often. Cool on sheet and break apart with a fork. Package as directed above.

Coffee Candied Nuts

½ cup very strong coffee
1 ½ cups sugar
1 Tbs. corn syrup
Cook above ingredients to soft-ball stage = 240 deg. F. Remove from heat, add nuts and gently stir until creamy. Spread on a greased cookie sheet and separate with a fork. Cool and package as directed above.

Orange Candied Nuts:

Substitute ¼ cup orange juice for coffee in the above recipe and add ¼ tsp. cinnamon. Proceed as above.

Glaceed Nuts:

Can coat 1 lb. or more of nuts, but excess coating can’t be saved for re-use.

2 cups sugar
1 cup boiling water
1/8 tsp. Cream of Tartar
Heat ingredients in the top pan of a double-boiler on low, stirring until sugar dissolves. Then allow to boil unstirred until syrup reached hard-boil stage= 300 deg. F. Place pan over one of warm water to prevent hardening and quickly dip nuts. Remove them with a fork or slotted spoon to dry on waxed paper. Allow to dry and harden before moving for packaging.

Dec 3

PEARS FOR DESSERT

In compiling the list of blogs to use as references in last week’s post on turkey, I came across this on pears from Nov.16,2017. It seemed a perfect fit for this year when trying something different could help the holidays seem a bit more special. I’m reposting it as written, because these 9 recipes need no editing or updating. The Pears Poached in Red Wine and the Sorbet with Raspberries appear especially appropriate for this season.

Perhaps it was compiling my recent posts on apples, certainly planning for the holidays, trying to hit upon that pleasing ‘special something’ or maybe a recent market flyer but I suddenly realized that pears are the truly overlooked ‘Fall’ fruit. In fact, during the past several decades, they’ve been ignored.

Like apples, pears are available all year, but are at their best in autumn, because, unlike many fruits pears are native to milder and cool climates in Western Europe and Eastern Asia.

Pears used to be as ‘everyday’ as apples and more so than oranges, but have disappeared from our daily lives in the past few decades. Their taste is no less flavorful than other fruits. Pears are as succulent as peaches, as portable as apples and actually, have less waste than either. Though their juice isn’t a featured item, it’s every bit as useful in cooking as apple juice and, in fact, the main component in most juice mixes, especially the ones for children because they are probably the most digestible of fruits. In the same vein, pear jelly and jam was a favorite of home kitchens for centuries but unseen now, yet pears are a major ingredient of many other jellies and jams . So why are pears such ‘Wallflowers’? My guess is lack of P.R. They could go viral, be a hot item, with a bit of attention since they have so much to offer.

Known even to the cavemen, pears have been enjoyed for thousands of years, and, like apples, have many varieties, most of which go directly into commercial purposes, canning etc. The varieties we see in the market, Anjou, Bartlett, Bosc, Seckel and Cornice, ranging in color from bright yellow, some rosy cheeked, through green to brown, can be both eaten and cooked. Like bananas they should be picked under ripe and are best when allowed to ripen in the home. Choose fruit that is firm to the touch and ripen it in a paper bag on a counter. When ready to eat a pear will be slightly resistant to squeezing and softer by the stem. Once ripe, store them in the refrigerator and check them daily because unlike apples, they don’t keep for weeks.

Below are a few recipes to acquaint, or re-acquaint yourself with pears. At the rate foods are being ‘discovered’ in the food world now, I bet they’re on the short list. So take a stroll down memory lane or a walk into the future and give pears a try now while they’re at seasonal peak. The recipes below will help you on your way–

RECIPES

Pears Poached in Wine
1. In Red Wine:

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Serves 6
6 pears-ripe but still firm-peeled but uncored-stems on-bottoms trimmed slightly to stand upright
1 Tbs. cornstarch
1 bottle red wine
½ cup sugar
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Zest of a small lemon
Zest of a small orange
Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 Tbs. of wine. Heat the rest of the wine with the spices, zests and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the pears and poach gently 25-30 min. until tender, turning occasionally . With a slotted spoon remove the pears to a deep serving dish. Strain the wine and return to the pot, adding the cornstarch mix. Simmer and stirring until sauce thickens, pour it over the pears and leave to soak until cold. Serve room temp or chilled.
2. Poached In Marsala:

Serves 4 From Rozanne Gold’s Recipes 1-2-3
4 pears as prepared above
1 cup Marsala
Water to cover
¾ cup crushed Amaretti or almond flavored cookies-about 18 small or 8-9 large ones
Place the pears in the pot with Marsala and water to cover, bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer gently for 30 min. or until tender. Remove pears with a slotted spoon and chill. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce to medium and cook until reduced to 1 cup. Cool. To serve, roll bottom of pears in cookie crumbs and place in a shallow bowl or soup plate, pouring sauce around the pears.

Baked Pears with Topping: Serves 2-This rendition offers a choice to adults and kids.
1 large Bosc pear
2 tsp. butter softened
1 Tbs. brown sugar mixed with
¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Lemon juice
1 ½ oz . Blue cheese or Vanilla ice cream
Halve pear –scoop out center core with a melon baller or round spoon. Mix spice and sugar. Rub cut sides with lemon juice. Smear butter over center of an 18” x12”sheet of foil. Sprinkle the spice mix over the butter and place the pear, cut sides down on it. Close the foil by folding it over, leaving air space inside. Bake at 450 deg. for 40 min. until pears are tender. Allow packet to stand 15 min. before opening. Transfer pear halves to serving plates, pour sauce from packet over them and fill centers with small mounds of blue cheese or serve with scoops of ice cream on the side.

Pear Compote: Yield about a quart.*
1 ½ cups water
1 ½ cups sugar
1 dozen pears-peeled, cored and sliced
3 sticks cinnamon
6 oz. cranberries—optional
Bring sugar and water to a boil, add cinnamon and fruit. Continue cooking at a simmer until fruit is tender, about 20 min . Remove fruit and continue simmering liquid until it makes a syrup. Pour over the fruit and store in the refrigerator.
*Serve with meat OR in —-

Easy Pear Strudel: Serves 6-8-FromRecipes 1-2-3 by Rozanne Gold
2 ½ cups compote
5 Tbs. unsalted butter-melted
7 sheets phyllo dough
lay sheets of phyllo on a flat surface and coat each lightly with butter using a pastry brush, restacking them as you do. Spoon pear compote parallel to one of the short sides of the phyllo leaving a 3 inch margin. Roll up tightly like a jelly roll. Place, seam side down on a baking sheet. Brush top with remaining butter and bake in a 375 deg. oven for 25min. Cool and serve in slices. Best within 3 hrs. of baking, do NOT refrigerate.

Pear Kuchen: Serves 8-10
Pastry for a 9”spring form pan-if home-made add 2 Tbs. sugar to the dough
1 quart canned pear halves = (2) 16 oz. cans
3 eggs
½ cup sugar
½ cup cream or fruit juice
Line the bottom and sides of a greased spring form pan with the pastry . Drain fruit and arrange cut side down in pan. Beat eggs with sugar and liquid until light and pour over the fruit. Bake at 400 deg. for 10 min. and then at 350 deg. until custard is set about 30 min. Sprinkle with slivered toasted almonds or cool and scatter chopped almond brittle over the top. Serve with whipped cream.

Pear-Ginger Upside-Down Cake: Serves 8-10
6 pear halves preferably fresh from 3 Anjou pears. (1) 16to17oz can of pear halves can be
used, see below **
2 Tbs. butter
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup – -pancake can be used
½ cup chopped pecans Or 6 tablespoons craisins
1 box gingerbread mix
If using canned pears, skip this paragraph. Peel, halve and core the pears. Place cut side
up in a microwave safe dish, with enough water to cover half way up the sides and ¼ cup
sugar . Cook on high, @ 3 to 4 min., depending on the oven wattage, or until just fork
tender. Allow to cool in the liquid.
Preheat the oven as per cake box directions, and grease a spring form pan well. Melt the butter, mix in the sugar and syrup, blending well, and pour into the bottom of the cake pan. Drain the pears, reserving the juice, and arrange them, cut side down, attractively in the bottom of the pan, on top of the sugar mixture. Sprinkle the nuts, or craisins, in the spaces between the pears.
Mix the cake according to directions, substituting the pear juice for equal amount of
required liquid . Pour the batter on top of the pears. Bake according to directions, plus five
minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Leave the cake to
cool in the pan for at least 20 min. allowing the bottom to set. Invert pan on a plate to
remove the cake.
*Fitting the pan bottom with a round of greased parchment paper helps the cake to
flip out easily. Once it’s plated, simply peel off the paper
** Fresh pears are better for this cake, because, once cooked, pears are very fragile .
Canned ones, having been boiled until soft, are harder to handle, and might not
support the weight of the batter, or additional cooking as well as fresh.

Pear and Almond Tart: Serves 8 This is a classic dish the recipe is from Bay Books’ The Food of France
Pastry for a 9 inch loose bottom tart pan or pie shell.-If homemade add 2 Tbs. sugar to the dough
3 large pears-peeled, cored and halved
¼ cup sugar
3Tbs. apricot jam
1 vanilla pod or ¼ tsp. extract
Filling:
5 ½ oz. butter softened
2/3 cup sugar
Zest of a small lemon
2 eggs lightly beaten
¼ cup flour
Few drops of vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups ground almonds*
Put the pears, ¼ cup sugar, vanilla or pod in a pan with enough water to cover. Remove pears, bring mix to a boil, return pears and simmer until fruit is tender, about 20 min. Drain and cool pears.
Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla together until light and fluffy . Gradually beat in eggs, then fold in flour, zest and almonds.
Blind bake the pastry, lined with parchment and weighted with beads, beans or rice at 375 deg. for 10 min. Remove weights and paper and bake for 3-5 min. more. Pastry should be pale.
Spread ¾ of the filling in the pastry shell and arrange the pears, cut-side-down on top. Fill in the gaps with the rest of the filling. Bake at 350 deg. for 35-40 min. until filling is golden and firm.
Melt the jam with 1 tsp. water and spread over pears to glaze. Serve at room temp.
*The most practical way to buy almonds is in a full service pharmacy like Walgreen’s and grind them yourself. They’re sold in 1 lb. bags more reasonably than elsewhere. I calculate the amount needed here is about ½ lb. I prefer to buy the raw and blanch them, but the roasted will do as well here, just not the smoked.

Pear-Pepper Sorbet with Raspberries: Serves 6-This sorbet is a favorite of mine. I make it with several different fruits.
(2) 16 oz. cans of pear halves
3 Tbs. pear brandy or pear liqueur+ for serving
¼ tsp. fresh ground pepper
2 pts. Raspberries
Puree the fruit until smooth adding the brandy slowly. Pour into a freezer container and stir in the pepper. Freeze 8 hrs. or overnight, blend again and refreeze. Serve in scoops on a bed of raspberries, with more on top. Drizzle with 1-2 tsp. liqueur.

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