Honey Poached Pears with Raspberry Sauce (Natirar)

Recently, my husband and I were privileged to attend a Super foods Cooking Class! It was held at the Viking Cooking School at Ninety Acres. (www.natirar.com) We really learned a lot, enjoyed a delicious meal (with wine pairings!) and came home with some wonderful recipes to try, all bursting with healthful vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants.

I decided to try the Honey Poached Pears with Raspberry Sauce recipe first. It's presentation is lovely, and it was a perfect finish to a dinner with our Aussie friends.

Ingredients for the Honey Poached Pears:
8 medium pears (firm but slightly yielding to pressure)
6 cups aromatic white wine of drinkable quality (I used Riesling)
1 1/2  cups water
2 medium vanilla beans
2 1/2 cups honey  (I know...it's a lot, right?)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
16 black peppercorns, cracked
4 whole cloves
4 cinnamon sticks
2 (3 inch) pieces of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

Directions for Honey Poached Pears:
Cut the bottom 1/8th inch off of each pear to create a base.

Using a melon baller, core the pears by scooping out the bottom center of the pear. Continue scooping until all of the core and seeds are removed (about the middle of the pear.) Be careful not to scoop too far up or the pear will tear apart. At this point the pears should look whole on the outside but with a somewhat hollow core.

After all of the pears are cored, carefully peel them with a vegetable peeler, leaving the stems intact.  (Just pretend you see a stem on the pear below, OK?)

Pour the wine and water into a pot just large enough to hold all the pears. Split the vanilla beans in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the pot. Add the honey, sugar, balsamic vinegar, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and ginger to the pot. Bring the wine mixture to a boil. Then reduce the heat, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Add the pears to the syrup, and cook at a very low simmer (poach) until they are just tender when pierced with a very sharp knife. Turn the pears as needed to evenly cook on all sides.

Allow the pears to cool in the syrup for increased flavor, but no longer than 3 hours or the pears will turn brown. Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature in a pool of raspberry sauce adorned with a sprig of mint for an attractive presentation (optional).

Ingredients for Raspberry Sauce:
2 cups thawed frozen raspberries
6 tablespoons honey
6 tablespoons orange liqueur
Mint sprigs, for garnish

Directions for Raspberry Sauce:
Combine the raspberries, honey and liqueur in a mini food processor, puree until smooth. Raspberry sauce can be made up to one week in advance, store tightly covered in refrigerator.

        Aren't they all just the cutest little delicious soldiers, all in a row??!!!

Who's Got Cabin Fever?

OK Peeps, who out there isn't feeling just a tad bit "doughy" lately... with all this blustery weather, darkness, blah blah blah??? I for one, am feeling it for sure! I just want to wear a big sweater, socks and slippers until say... April. (along with a warm cup of herb tea and a hot water bottle......C'mon, you KNOW that sounds GOOD!) But that may not be a viable option...

 So anywhoo, my Plan B is to think positive, enthusiastic, and festive thoughts! Let's have a Cuban Dinner Party!!!

Many years ago when I had my first Mojito....it was in South Beach Miami, Florida, where you can easily find authentic Cuban cuisine. Ever since then, (when I also fell in love with the Traditional Cuban Sandwich,) I have been experimenting, and putting together a foolproof menu for an awesome Cuban dinner. It's a great way to feel "warm & tropical" in the dead of winter. It makes a very nice Superbowl menu, too! Ricky Ricardo would be proud.

CUBAN DINNER PARTY MENU

Mojitos

Cuban Sandwiches

Cuban Salad

Black Beans & Rice

Garlic Plantain Chips 

Tres Leches Cake

For Cuban Sandwiches:
1 lb. deli ham, sliced thick
1 lb. roast pork, sliced thick (You can roast & slice it yourself if you cant find it at your deli)
1 lb. Munster cheese
8 submarine rolls, split
Jar of Dijonnaise mustard
Dill pickles, sliced lengthwise (you can usually find them jarred this way in the grocery store)
Butter, softened

Butter both sides of submarine rolls, then put mustard on one side of each roll. Layer Ham, Pork, Cheese and Pickle slices onto rolls. Then top with the other half of the roll.

Cuban sandwiches can be cooked using a Panini/Grill Press, a George Foreman Grill, or even just a skillet.

If you are using a skillet, butter the bottom of the skillet and place sandwiches into skillet. Then weigh it down with another skillet (cast iron if you have it). Rolls should be golden brown and cheese should be melted. Let cool for one minute, slice and transfer to serving platter.

Easy Cuban Salad:
Baby Lettuce Greens
Avocado slices
Thin red or yellow onion slices
salt
olive oil
lime juice
Arrange a bed of lettuce leaves, slice on avocado, onion, salt, olive oil, and a squeeze of lime juice. All these ingredients are to taste, so you can flavor it up or down to your liking.

Tres Leches Cake:
2 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

6 large eggs, separated
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 14 oz can evaporated milk
2 tablespoons light rum
Spray bottle of whipped cream
Cinnamon for sprinkling
Maraschino cherries (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a 9 x 13 baking dish. Stir flour, baking powder and salt together.
Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Beat the whites until very foamy and frothy. Set aside.
In large mixing bowl, cream the sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer. Continue mixing and slowly add the milk. Then start adding the flour mixture, a little at a time until all the flour is incorporated and and the batter is smooth. Finally, use a spatula to gently add the beaten egg whites until completely mixed.
Pour batter into floured and greased baking dish. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. Allow cake to cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.
Then invert the cake onto a baking tray with a raised side, (something to catch the syrup.) Repeatedly pierce the top of the cake with a fork.

Milk Syrup: Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and rum in a bowl until well blended. Pour syrup over cake a little at a time, until it soaks through the cake. Use your fork to enable the syrup to seep into the cake. There will probably still be a pool of syrup around the bottom of the cake, but it will gradually soak in. Cover the cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
When it's time to serve, slice a square piece of cake, spray with whipped cream, sprinkle with cinnamon, and top with a cherry (optional). You will not believe how good this cake tastes.

 As for the rest of the menu, it's all stuff you can purchase! You can also eliminate an item or two if you would rather do a little less work. Here are some tips: I buy canned Black Bean soup, heat it up, and drain off the excess liquid for my black beans.I serve it in a bowl alongside some white or brown rice. They are side dishes that compliment the sandwiches perfectly.  Goya makes fabulous plantain chips, plain or with garlic flavor. Then cook your favorite rice, mix up your favorite Mojito recipe (a must), plus have some beer on hand,  and you are all set! Light some candles, play some Cuban music, and let the yum begin!!



Look how happy we made Ricky! Aww...



Dinner Table Decor from Mimi's Mint Patch

Thanks to my mother in law Barbara, we have a healthy patch of fresh spearmint growing in the backyard. Mint is a perennial that grows fast and furious, with little or no attention. It is an especially good choice for pots or planters, due to its invasive, spreading roots. The mint will continue to grow up until the first frost. And then, in the spring it will start all over again!

Here is a pretty and practical table setting idea. All you need is some mint and some small vases, bottles, or glasses (or, some of each!). After setting the table, fill each small container with some water and a little bunch of mint. Then, simply place one on each dinner plate before your guests arrive. It adds a healthy, fresh shade of green to the table setting. Plus the best part is, it's useful as well!

How lovely! But you may be asking: "Fifi, what do you mean useful?"

Here is the fun part! After dinner transfer each bunch of mint to a mug. Then just boil some water, pour into each mug, and serve with sugar or honey, whichever you prefer. This fabulous, fresh mint tea can be served on its own, or alongside dessert! The taste of fresh mint tea is surprisingly different (and better) than any dried mint tea leaves you've tried in the past. Plus, mint tea is soothing to the stomach and aids in digestion. This will ensure that all your friends leave with happy tummies!