I love pears, I love wine, I love ice cream. So how perfect when they come together for this desert!
1 1/2C red wine
1/2C apple juice
1C pomegranate cranberry juice
2 pieces crystallized ginger chopped into small pieces
1tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp allspice
1tbsp vanilla
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 red firm but ripe pears peeled but not cored
vanilla ice cream
Mix the first 7 ingredients into a pot and heat to almost a boil. Add the pears to the liquid and cover the pot with a lid. Make sure that the liquid only simmers and does not boil. Cook for 20 minutes turning pears after about 10 minutes so all sides soak in the liquid.
When done, take pears out setting aside to cool. Let the liquid cook another 15 minutes to thicken. If it needs more thickening you can by mixing 1 tbsp cornstarch with 1 tbsp cold water in a cup and stir consistently the pot as you add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce.
Cut 1/2 a pear lengthwise in thin slices into a bowl, add a scoop of ice cream pour a few spoonfuls of sauce overtop. I cut thin strips of a piece of the crystallized ginger and put on top for a nice presentation, be careful not to overdue that.
A glass of wine on the side is nice too.
Enjoy!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Mummified Apples and More Soup
Mummifying
The joys of homeschooling and cyberschooling;
Mira is taking an Egypt class at the local homeschool group called PALS(people always learning something). I am the helper in the class and Joan the teacher, who has taught for years at the museums, is wonderful. She brought in a chicken (thank you to Giant Eagle for an already dead and defeathered chicken) that she and her students mummified 3 years ago. Very cool.
She had our students mummify half an apple, the other (control) half just sits in a bag in my pantry molding. Mira has decided to create a realistic Egyptian burial for the mummified apple. She is creating gold coins and other artifacts to bury with it. She is creating 2 sarcophagus' to bury it in and a pyramid. Should be interesting as there will be pictures taken of the procedure for her teacher to see.
So just to let you sense my house, salty baking soda cinnamon rotting apples. Tin foil, markers and boxes scattered in pieces around the house.
My daughter is creative, energetic, enthusiastic, artistic, interested and fun but she is not in any means of the words, tidy, clean or worried about what anyone thinks about her knots in her hair, holes in her pants, mixed colors in her clothes with stains. Yes, she is a great girl and at the end of the day I am exhausted but feel rewarded and honored just to get to be around her!
SOUP
Making soup for dinner tonight and enough to go around for Mira's sick teacher who we will see tomorrow. I bought some organic mixed colored carrots at Giant Eagle I think they have a subtler flavor, but you can use the regular if you can't find them. You also can omit the chicken and add a vegetarian option such as cannelloni beans.
Veggie (Chicken) Star
1/2 lb chicken tenders rubbed in a anise, cinnamon, coriander, ancho chili mix (0r something like. Can you tell I like rubs.This gives the soup more flavor, however you may skip it)
2 TBSP olive oil
2 medium sized onions chopped
2 purple carrots, washed and chopped
1 yellow carrot, washed and chopped
1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 32oz can chopped tomatoes unstrained
2 32oz containers of vegetable stock (if you like a more chicken flavor use chicken broth)
1/3 cup noodle stars (these are cute little stars that make a showing in your bowl)
1 tsp blackening herbs (organic in the serve your own section at Giant Eagle)
2 tsp tarragon leaves
Salt to taste
Brown the chicken tenders in 1tbsp olive oil and set aside to cool. Don't overcook and don't worry if they are not cooked through as they will in the soup.
In a deep pot saute the onions and carrots in 1tbsp olive oil until onions are translucent (this is about the time my family always says, "MMM, something smells good, I'm hungry")
add the vegetable stock, butternut squash and tomatoes and bring to a boil.
When boiling add the noodle stars, turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until noodles are done. Chop the chicken into 1 inch pieces and add in with the blackening herbs and tarragon in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
My whole family loved this meal, with garlic bread and the plates came back to the kitchen clean! How often can you say that with kids!
Enjoy.
The joys of homeschooling and cyberschooling;
Mira is taking an Egypt class at the local homeschool group called PALS(people always learning something). I am the helper in the class and Joan the teacher, who has taught for years at the museums, is wonderful. She brought in a chicken (thank you to Giant Eagle for an already dead and defeathered chicken) that she and her students mummified 3 years ago. Very cool.
She had our students mummify half an apple, the other (control) half just sits in a bag in my pantry molding. Mira has decided to create a realistic Egyptian burial for the mummified apple. She is creating gold coins and other artifacts to bury with it. She is creating 2 sarcophagus' to bury it in and a pyramid. Should be interesting as there will be pictures taken of the procedure for her teacher to see.
So just to let you sense my house, salty baking soda cinnamon rotting apples. Tin foil, markers and boxes scattered in pieces around the house.
My daughter is creative, energetic, enthusiastic, artistic, interested and fun but she is not in any means of the words, tidy, clean or worried about what anyone thinks about her knots in her hair, holes in her pants, mixed colors in her clothes with stains. Yes, she is a great girl and at the end of the day I am exhausted but feel rewarded and honored just to get to be around her!
SOUP
Making soup for dinner tonight and enough to go around for Mira's sick teacher who we will see tomorrow. I bought some organic mixed colored carrots at Giant Eagle I think they have a subtler flavor, but you can use the regular if you can't find them. You also can omit the chicken and add a vegetarian option such as cannelloni beans.
Veggie (Chicken) Star
1/2 lb chicken tenders rubbed in a anise, cinnamon, coriander, ancho chili mix (0r something like. Can you tell I like rubs.This gives the soup more flavor, however you may skip it)
2 TBSP olive oil
2 medium sized onions chopped
2 purple carrots, washed and chopped
1 yellow carrot, washed and chopped
1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 32oz can chopped tomatoes unstrained
2 32oz containers of vegetable stock (if you like a more chicken flavor use chicken broth)
1/3 cup noodle stars (these are cute little stars that make a showing in your bowl)
1 tsp blackening herbs (organic in the serve your own section at Giant Eagle)
2 tsp tarragon leaves
Salt to taste
Brown the chicken tenders in 1tbsp olive oil and set aside to cool. Don't overcook and don't worry if they are not cooked through as they will in the soup.
In a deep pot saute the onions and carrots in 1tbsp olive oil until onions are translucent (this is about the time my family always says, "MMM, something smells good, I'm hungry")
add the vegetable stock, butternut squash and tomatoes and bring to a boil.
When boiling add the noodle stars, turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until noodles are done. Chop the chicken into 1 inch pieces and add in with the blackening herbs and tarragon in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
My whole family loved this meal, with garlic bread and the plates came back to the kitchen clean! How often can you say that with kids!
Enjoy.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Fish Stew
I will admit that the best fish stew by far is Mary Jo and Michael Hennesey's fish stew and I won't try to even come close. I decided to make an easy and cheap version.
I bought a piece of Turbo (firm white fish) at Whole Foods for $6.00. Everything else I had on hand or leftover from our veggie box(sad to say stopped in October)!
1/2 to 1lb white fish
1/2 small head of cabbage sliced 3" thin strips
1 large onion, chopped
32 oz chicken broth
Garam Marsala or a Rub that you like.
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Rub the fish with Garam Marsala and fry in a deep dish fry pan with olive oil. (I use Rub with Love, Bengal Masala Rub) Set aside when done.
Saute the onion in TSP olive oil 2 min, then add cabbage for another 2 or until slightly wilted.
Add to the fish the cooked onion/cabbage mixture and the chicken broth, bring to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes and enjoy!
Mine turned out yummy and so easy!
Can't help you with the smell of the fish left in the kitchen.
If you are hearty and brave enough to grill it outside in the cold you can avoid that!
I bought a piece of Turbo (firm white fish) at Whole Foods for $6.00. Everything else I had on hand or leftover from our veggie box(sad to say stopped in October)!
1/2 to 1lb white fish
1/2 small head of cabbage sliced 3" thin strips
1 large onion, chopped
32 oz chicken broth
Garam Marsala or a Rub that you like.
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Rub the fish with Garam Marsala and fry in a deep dish fry pan with olive oil. (I use Rub with Love, Bengal Masala Rub) Set aside when done.
Saute the onion in TSP olive oil 2 min, then add cabbage for another 2 or until slightly wilted.
Add to the fish the cooked onion/cabbage mixture and the chicken broth, bring to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes and enjoy!
Mine turned out yummy and so easy!
Can't help you with the smell of the fish left in the kitchen.
If you are hearty and brave enough to grill it outside in the cold you can avoid that!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Annie and Bailey came just for an overnight.
They were great dogs! They were fun, loving and happy to be with us.
We really enjoyed them!
I decided to take a break from dog sitting for a while. Mira and I now have such long school days and activities. I am trying to fit in a little work and jewelry time too. Not cooking as much as I should and want to make that more of a priority.
The kids don't miss doing dogs as much as I thought they would. I think the chaos factor was getting to them. So a good decision all the way around. May do some in the future if it works out.
So does this mean I need to change the name of my blog??! What do you think?
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Soups UP
It's been soup all the time. My favorite Carrot Ginger, spicy Mexican vegetable with black beans made with chicken broth and Corn heat with white beans. I love soup and most of my soups are made up on the spot with items left over or what I am in the mood for.
Today we ate Grilled Cheese sandwiches (I butter then grill both sides of the bread and add cheese, I love plain tomatoes on mine but Piccadilly is good too) and Corn with White beans.
Corn Heat with White Beans (vegan, vegetarian)
2 cans corn
2 cans white beans
2 celery stalks (chopped)
1tbsp chopped garlic
1tsp onion salt
1 Q vegetable stock
1tsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 to 2 tsp chipotle chili pepper
Salt to taste
Saute the oil and garlic then add all else, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until celery is soft. I blend in the pot or you can do it in a blender leaving it somewhat chunky.
Today we ate Grilled Cheese sandwiches (I butter then grill both sides of the bread and add cheese, I love plain tomatoes on mine but Piccadilly is good too) and Corn with White beans.
Corn Heat with White Beans (vegan, vegetarian)
2 cans corn
2 cans white beans
2 celery stalks (chopped)
1tbsp chopped garlic
1tsp onion salt
1 Q vegetable stock
1tsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 to 2 tsp chipotle chili pepper
Salt to taste
Saute the oil and garlic then add all else, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until celery is soft. I blend in the pot or you can do it in a blender leaving it somewhat chunky.
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