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Maple-Roasted Pears

December 10, 2011 Rivka
maple roasted pears
maple roasted pears

'Tis the season for cookies, and lately I've felt so bombarded by different shapes, sizes, flavors, and varieties, it's hard to focus on much else. Ok, obviously I've still found time for applesauce cake and gingersnap pear cranberry crisp. But what I'm trying to say is, there have also been cookies. Lots and lots of cookies. An embarrassing number, some of you would think (if I were willing to estimate my personal intake, which I am not).

I find it difficult to forgo cakes and cookies for lower-key desserts year-round, and this time of year, it's especially hard. But last week, after fiddling with the "surprise me" function on Deb's blog, I stumbled on a recipe for roasted pears that caught this cookie-loving lady's attention. The pears looked like they were melting into the baking dish, coated with a syrup of vanilla beans, sugar, and lemon. I wanted to scoop them right out of the screen.

pear prep 2
pear prep 2

I'd planned to make Deb's recipe just as she wrote it, but my tweaking tendencies got the best of me. I had some maple syrup from a farmer who sells stuff on my corner, and I'd been itching to use it with the pears that sat, somewhat forlorn, in my fridge for just a few days too long. So I did, swapping in maple for the sugar. I kept the lemon - the acidity proves absolutely critical in a dish that's otherwise quite sweet - and I added a piece of cinnamon along with the vanilla bean. The pears, they tasted of pure fall. Which is somewhat ironic, since I think it's officially winter at this point. Ahh, well.

pears and butter
pears and butter

Deb hits the nail on the head about these pears. They're easy as hell to make, and they'll impress dinner guests as much as if you'd slaved over this instead. Not that I don't love towers of salted caramel and chocolate, because I do. Of course I do. But when the holidays roll around, time is of the essence. So you choose.

halfway cooked pears
halfway cooked pears

Maple-Roasted Pearsadapted from Deb, who adapted it from Sally Schneider of The Atlantic Serves 4

Incidentally, these pears are just wild with a scoop of the cinnamon-vanilla ice cream I made this week. Follow this recipe, but skip the chocolate drizzle, add a cinnamon stick to the milk along with the vanilla bean, and let the whole thing steep for 30 minutes before proceeding with the recipe. Divine.

Also: I had only 4 pears, but the sauce makes enough for 1.5 lbs. pears, which should be about 6.

1 1/2 pounds pears (about 6), peeled, halved (though the stem, if possible), and cored (I use a little melon baller to scoop out the seeds and a paring knife to carve out the internal stem) 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/2 vanilla bean 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F for unripe pears, 350 degrees F for ripe ones.

Arrange pear halves cut-side up in a baking dish: 4 pears fit in an 8x8, 6 will need a 9x13.

Slit the vanilla bean in half and using a small paring knife, scrape the seeds from the bean into a small bowl. Add maple syrup, cinnamon, lemon juice, and water, stir to combine, and pour evenly over pears. Cut the vanilla pod halves into slivers, and distribute evenly in the baking dish. Dot each pear with butter.

Roast the pears for 30 minutes, basting them occasionally with pan juices. Turn the pears over and continue roasting, basting a couple more times, for 25 minutes, until a knife inserted into a pear half meets no resistance.

Serve pears warm, drizzled with the remaining sauce and topped with either a dollop of creme fraiche or a scoop of ice cream (vanilla, cinnamon, butter pecan, and sour cream ice cream would all work well here).

In dessert, gluten-free, easy
4 Comments

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

November 23, 2011 Rivka
twice-baked sweet potatoes
twice-baked sweet potatoes

I'm back, in the nick of time, with one last side dish to grace your Thanksgiving table (because really, can you ever have enough sides?) By now, you're probably squared away with your stuffing, your Turkey, and those pies. So here's an idea for what to do with all those sweet potatoes. I wouldn't call it a traditional dish, but it's certainly a play on tradition.

I've always loved twice-baked potatoes, with their crisp skin and just enough potato inside to cushion the cheesy filling. So why not twice-bake sweet potatoes? Yes, their flesh is less starchy, and their skins are harder to crisp up. But when you succeed -- and you will succeed - you will reap the rewards of hot, sweet, crunchy, soft, sweet 'taters like you've never had'em before.

raw sweet potatoes
raw sweet potatoes

Here's the beauty of this dish. Have a favorite filling for twice-baked potatoes? It'll go great here, too. I'm talking sour cream and cheddar and chives, or parmesan and sage, or whatever you usually use. But you could also take these in a totally different direction, as I did last night. Instead of trying to balance the sweet flesh with a more savory filling, I succumbed to the sweetness. Boy did I ever.

sour cream and maple
sour cream and maple

Here's what we're doing: we're filling 'tater halves with a mix of sour cream, maple syrup, and crunchy demerara sugar. When I made them, I simply mixed the ingredients together - but I'm recommending that you sprinkle the sugar over everything else. That way you'll have a crunchy, burnt-sugary gratinee topping. You'll know they're done when you've had to fight yourself at least 3 times from opening that oven, pulling out the sweet potatoes, and eating every last one, right then and there. Now that's what I call a successful Thanksgiving side.

twice-baked sweet potatoes-2
twice-baked sweet potatoes-2

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoesserves 4

4 sweet potatoes, scrubbed very well and left unpeeled 2 tablespoons sour cream 1 tablespoon maple syrup 2 tablespoons demerara sugar pinch flaky salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line the bottom of the oven with foil.

Prick sweet potatoes in several places, and set on a rack in the middle of the oven for about 35-40 minutes, until they do not resist when pricked with a knife.

Meanwhile, combine sour cream with maple syrup, and stir until smooth. (It's ok if there are a couple lumps.)

Halve sweet potatoes lengthwise, and use a spoon to scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a 1/4-lining of flesh on each of the skins. Transfer skins to a lined baking sheet.

Spoon the sour cream mixture evenly into each of the skins, and top with a generous sprinkling of demerara sugar and the tiniest pinch of flaky salt.

Return to the oven, and bake about 20 minutes more, until skins are crisp at the edges and sour cream mixture is bubbling. Serve hot.

In appetizers, comfort food, gluten-free, kosher for passover, sides, vegetarian, thanksgiving, easy
4 Comments

Brussels Sprouts with Caraway Seeds

November 18, 2011 Rivka
brussels sprouts caraway seeds
brussels sprouts caraway seeds

Ohh, brussels sprouts. The unsung hero of the Thanksgiving table. Have your turkey, eat as many sweet potatoes as you'd like; when the maple syrup is dripping down your chin, the marshmallows bursting from your jowls, and the cranberry sauce shmeared bright red across your plate, you will have a moment - everyone has a moment - when the sweetness of it all, the sheer quantity of sugar, exhausts you. At that moment, you'll reach for the bowl of brussels sprouts, grateful that something on the table that's purely savory. Thank goodness for brussels sprouts.

here's the thing about sprouts recipes, though. Lots involve that very maple syrup that coats your yams. Or apples. Or pears (guilty as charged). Those are delicious - I'm not criticizing! - but if you take your turkey in a sweet direction (here's one recipe I'm particularly excited about that looks pretty sweet), you'll want a foil for all that sugar. So if I were making Tday dinner this year, I'd go as simple as it gets. Just some olive oil, salt and pepper - and the secret star ingredient: caraway seeds.

Let's talk caraway for a moment. It's deeply savory, and a welcome break from the sweet stuff. It's distinctive on its own: when paired with caraway, brussels sprouts need little embellishment (let's face it: you're saving your juice for the perfect turkey and a slew of pies). And they provide a little crunch to those sprouts, always welcome on a day when mashed potatoes and candied yams reign.

Also - and the importance of the following is not to be underestimated - they're easy to make. Let's be honest: brussles sprounts are the fifth child of turkey day dinner. Toss 'em in the oven. Forget about 'em. If it's a good recipe, the sprouts will turn out just fine on their own, while you're fussing over your pie and basting that bird. And by the way? Cook's secret: these sprouts are shockingly delicious right out of the fridge the morning after the big day. The caraway will have permeated the vegetable completely; sneaky leftover nibblers, I aim to please you.

brussels sprouts caraway 2
brussels sprouts caraway 2

Also, incidentally: these sprouts are good all year, not just on Tday. If you're making a smaller batch, you might try making them on the stove top, as I did the second time I made them. They certainly get more blistered and brown over in a hot pan, and while they cook a bit less evenly, I found it quite exciting to watch those caraway seeds crackle and pop over the flames, crazy chick that I am.

Brussels Sprouts with Caraway Seedsadapted from a recipe in Gourmet

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Caraway Seeds 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon caraway seeds salt and pepper freshly ground nutmeg (optional - if you only have the pre-grated stuff, skip it)

Preheat oven to 450°F and place a rack in middle of the oven.

Toss Brussels sprouts with oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and a very light dusting of nutmeg (if using) in a bowl until well coated. Transfer to a large 4-sided sheet pan in 1 layer and roast 10 minutes. Sprinkle caraway seeds over Brussels sprouts and toss, then spread out in 1 layer and roast until Brussels sprouts are crisp-tender and well browned in spots, about 10 minutes more.

In gluten-free, sides, vegetarian, thanksgiving, easy, healthy
3 Comments

Kale Salad with Avocado Dressing

November 7, 2011 Rivka
DSC_0066
DSC_0066

This is the latest in NDP's Weekday Lunch series, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of my tupperware. For earlier Weekday Lunch posts, check this out.

I'm a big fan of kale salads. They're a pop of green in a season where not much is; they basically never wilt; and given how healthy they are, it's hard not to feel righteous eating one.

My usual kale salad combines lacinato kale - the long, bumpy leaves that are almost glamorous in texture, also known as dinosaur kale - with pine nuts, raisins or currants, and shards of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. It's the sort of salad that's good now, better later. My friend (and author of various guest posts on NDP) Jeremy pointed out that over time, as the kale wilts, it takes on a texture almost like seaweed, which is quite pleasant.

Last week, in the mood for kale salad, I opened the fridge to find I was fresh out of lacinato. I did have a bunch of regular curly-leaf kale, but I knew it would take a thicker, more serious dressing to tame those wiry leaves. Where did I turn? The humble avocado.

Avocado dressings are flat-out underrated. People talk of yogurt, of mayonnaise (the enemy of delicious - I can't stand the stuff), of buttermilk, but never of avocado. It's too bad: avocados are smooth and buttery, thick enough to make a beautifully emulsified dressing, and did I mention they're delicious?

DSC_0062
DSC_0062

For this salad, I combined kale with those crunchy, juicy asian pears that I can't seem to get enough of. I added scallions for texture and bite, then dressed the mess with a dressing of soy, rice wine vinegar, and avocado, whipped into submission with the help of grapeseed and sesame oils. And now, I warn you: people, the combination is addictive. I really can't get enough. I've made this dressing three or four times over the past few weeks, tweaking it ever so slightly to get that perfect zestiness. I've eaten it on regular kale, on lacinato kale once I replenished my supply, and even used it as a dip for slices of asian pear as an afternoon snack. It's ridiculously good. Hope you like it as much as I do.

Kale Salad with Avocado Dressing serves 2

1 bunch kale (any kind - regular or lacinato are both great; mine was about 3 oz) 1 asian pear, halved, cored, and sliced 2 scallions, sliced 1 avocado juice of 1 lime 1/2 tablespoon (1 1/2 teaspoons) soy sauce 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil 1/4 cup grapeseed oil water if needed

Rip the kale into medium sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Add sliced scallions and pear.

Scoop the avocado into a medium bowl and use a fork to mash it until totally smooth. Add all the remaining ingredients except the grapeseed oil and stir to combine. Then gradually add the grapeseed oil and whisk until fully combined. If necessary, add water by the tablespoon until dressing is thin enough to pour.

Add dressing to kale salad. Start with half, toss, and add more dressing if necessary. Allow the salad to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Salad will keep up to 1 day dressed; dressing will keep up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

In gluten-free, salad, vegetarian, weekday lunch, easy
8 Comments
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