Steamed Asparagus with Lemon Garlic Gremolata

Today is the last post for our Cooking Light Supper Club. It has been rewarding to share and work

together with this passionate group of gourmands. Fittingly it is spring, a time of renewal and growth. May we all find new avenues to unleash our creative spirit. Thank you to Val at More Than Burnt Toast for keeping us together for such a long time.

Now for ideas using lemons, here we go.

Val at More Than Burnt Toast has found a wonderful recipe called Pasta with Asparagus, Lemon and Prosciutto 

Shelby at Whistlestop Cafe has Lemon Sole with Lemon Caper Sauce.

Gerry at A Life, Lived has made a refreshing spring cocktail Lemon Gin Sparkling Cocktail.

Steamed Asparagus with Lemon-Garlic Gremolata

Green beans work just as well as asparagus if the latter are no longer in season. Steam and refrigerate the asparagus a day ahead; arrange on a platter with the other ingredients a couple of hours before dinner.

2 pounds fresh asparagus

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

1 1/2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil 

3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

3/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind 

1 garlic clove, minced 

Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Steam asparagus, covered, 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Plunge asparagus into ice water; drain. Place asparagus on a large platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil.
Combine parsley and the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle over asparagus, tossing gently. Serves 8.

Zucchini Stuffed with Ricotta Fiddlehead Mousse

Spring is a great time of year for the food lover. Our plates will soon be filled with fresh from the garden foods. Until this new crop arrives I am using up my freezer and pantry stash from last summer.

I bet you thought this ricotta would be flavoured with the traditional basil. I like pesto made from all sorts of green herbs and vegetables and I adore this fiddlehead pesto. The flavour is all fiddlehead and so fresh.

For April our group has this wonderful line up of foods that just might fool you ...

Creamy Baked Eggs with Asparagus and Pecorino from Sandi at Whistlestop Cafe
April Fool Spicy Shrimp with Grits from Jerry at A Life Lived
Chicken BLT Sandwich from Val at More Than Burnt Toast
Shelby at Grumpy's Honeybunch winds up with this seasonal dessert - Rhubarb Trifle


Zucchini Stuffed with Ricotta Fiddlehead Mousse

I always make my own ricotta. It is so easy, so fresh and half the cost. Click on the link for my recipe and directions.

6 small zucchinis
1 cup homemade ricotta
1/4 cup fiddlehead pesto
1/4 cup freshly grated Reggiano Parmigiano
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Slice zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out pulp to leave a 1/4 inch shell. Reserve the pulp for another use.

Combine the remainder of the ingredients stirring well with a whisk. Fill zucchini with the ricotta mixture, pressing firmly.

Bake at 450 F until zucchini is tender, about 20 minutes.

Fiddlehead Pesto Recipe 

3 cups of boiling water with a pinch of salt

250 g fresh or frozen fiddlehead greens

1/3 cup olive oil, add more if needed

3 tablespoons crushed pine nuts or walnuts (optional)

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese  

Cook fiddleheads in boiling water with salt 8 minutes, drain very well. Add fiddleheads, nuts and garlic, slowly adding the 1/3 cup of olive oil, blend well. Add about 1/3 of the parmesan cheese, mix, add balance of cheese, stopping to scrape down sides of container. Process or blend until fiddlehead pesto forms a smooth paste consistency.

Wild Mushroom and Lentil Cottage Pie

 

I have always felt a little Irish in my blood, especially in March. This month the Virtual Supper Club is honouring the most popular celebration in Ireland and everyone in the world who wishes they were Irish. On St. Patrick's Day we all have a little Irish in our veins.

 

Cottage pie is traditionally made with beef or lamb, however, this mushroom and lentil version leaves you with no meat cravings. It is hearty and satisfying. The heady drizzle of truffle oil brings it into the nouvelle cuisine category. Take it to the table with a boat of mushroom gravy.

 

March is still a bit nippy 'round the bippy. This comfort food is a perfect casual meal. And a bird never flew on one wing so load up your plate. It's all good for you. 

 

Check on the rest of the dinner with these bloggers and enjoy Irish comfort food at its best:

 

Jerry at A Life, Lived starts the meal with an Irish Cheddar Bacon Dip. There is nothing better than a good Irish cheddar. Then add bacon and it can help but be a crowd pleaser.

Sandy from The Whistlestop Cafe brings a sumptuous Potato Kale Soup with Gruyere.

Val from More Than Burnt Toast has chosen a very Irish side dish of buttery mashed potatoes called Green Onion Champ.

Susan is serving Shamrock Meringue Cups for a very Irish looking dessert. Mmmm. Wouldn't this be good with an Irish coffee?

 

Wild Mushroom and Lentil Cottage Pie

4 servings

2 cups cubed peeled Yukon gold potato

1/2 tablespoon salt, divided 

2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk or whey

1/2 teaspoon piment d'esplette

1/2 cup dried green lentils

2 cups water

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon olive or canola oil 

1  cup finely chopped onion 

1/2 cup finely diced carrot 

1/4 cup finely diced celery 

1 ounce wild mushroom blend, such as shiitake, cremini, and oyster

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce 

1 tablespoon tomato paste 

1/2 tablespoon white truffle oil

Chopped chives (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Rehydrate dried mushroom in a cup of very hot water. Reserve mushroom soaking liquid.

To prepare topping, place potato and one teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cook 20 minutes or until very tender and drain. Return potatoes to the pan. Add buttermilk or whey, 1/2 teaspoon salt and piment d'esplette to potatoes. Mash with a potato masher until smooth. Set aside.

To prepare filling, combine lentils, water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bay leaf in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 25 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain, and set aside.

Make mushroom gravy in recipe below.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add half of the mushroom gravy. Add sherry, soy sauce, tomato paste, thyme, and lentils to mushroom mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Spoon lentil mixture into a 1-quart casserole. Top with potato mixture, spreading evenly. Bake at 375 F for 25 minutes or until potatoes are golden and lentil mixture is bubbling. Drizzle truffle oil over potatoes. Garnish with chopped chives, if desired. Serve with reserved mushroom gravy.

Mushroom Gravy

2 pounds button and cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/8-inch thick, trimmed 

2 ounces of mixed wild dried mushrooms

reserved mushroom soaking liquid and organic low-sodium canned mushroom or vegetable stock to make 4 cups

6 tablespoons unsalted butter 

2 shallots, finely chopped  

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour  

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Rehydrate dried mushrooms in one cup of boiling water.

Remove stems from mushrooms. Place stems and stock in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 30 minutes. Strain; set aside.

Place 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add shallots, and cook until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, and cook until mushrooms are soft, browned, and all liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat; set aside.

Combine remaining 3 tablespoons butter and flour in a medium saucepan over medium heat; cook, stirring until incorporated and browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in stock; bring to a boil, whisking until thickened. Stir in reserved mushroom mixture and thyme. Serve hot.

Pigeonneau Fermier Roti aux Epices Douces

This month we are going to the Oscars. Food can be associated with most movies in one way or another. I like the real hard-core food movies. The only movie, not only foodie movie, but the only movie I saw this year was the One Hundred Foot Journey. It was nominated for the Golden Globes but didn't meet Oscar competition.

Anyhoo, we are here to sit down and enjoy more wonderful food.

I made the 'oh so' elegant Pigeonneau Fermier Roti aux Epices Douces. Yes, this translates as pigeon. The culinary world has chosen a more appealing moniker of squab. Wouldn't we rather eat squab than pigeon? Pigeonneau is a young pigeon.

This recipe was the test for the young Indian chef to work with restaurateur Helen Mirren. He earned the restaurant a third Michelin star.

These restaurants were literally across the street from each other, hence, the one hundred foot journey. He left his family's Indian restaurant to serve haute cuisine and move his career forward.

The sauce with this dish is dazzling. This will be on my fine dinner 'go to' list of choice. And it you think you can forget the madeira, in one word, don't. The subtle sweetness adds another layer of complexity to the flavour.

I did not find pigeon and used pheasant as a substitute. It was delicious.

Into the Woods Bean Soup  with Jerry at A Life, Lived. Movie inspiration is, of course, Into the Woods.

Pimento Cheese Sandwiches from Shelby at Grumpy's Honeybunch. Movie inspiration is Shelby's all time favourite movie, The Help.

Cranberry Orange Trifle by Val at More Than Burnt Toast. The movie inspiration is The Queen with Helen Mirren. She is popular. She is also the leading actress in One Hundred Foot Journey.

Fontal Polenta with a Mushroom Saute is Sandi's contribution from The Whistlestop Cafe. Her movie inspiration is Eat, Pray, Love.


Pegonneau Fermier Rȏti aux Epices Douces

2 tablespoons butter

4 boned pigeon (squab) halves

fine salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 order sauce de pigeonneau

1 order légumes de saison

Preheat oven to(400 °F). Melt the butter in a frying pan over high heat. Season pigeon halves with salt and pepper. Brown one side. Turn the halves over, and place the pan in the oven. Cook for 7 minutes.

Place the baked pigeon halves on a plate, tent with foil, and set aside to rest for five minutes. While the pigeon is resting, continue to reduce the sauce until thickened. Taste the sauce and season with salt, as required. Also, place the serving plates with the vegetables in the oven for a couple of minutes until the vegetables are reheated.

When the meat has rested, slice each half on the bias in four places. Arrange the pigeon slices on the serving plates. Top with the reduced sauce.

Sauce de Pigeonneau

1 small shallot, minced

1 tablespoon butter

100 milliliters Madeira wine

150 to 200 milliliters fond de pigeonneau

Fond du Pigeonneau

bones from 2 young pigeons (squabs)

1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped

1/2 white onion, chopped

1 small carrot, peeled and chopped

1/2 stalk celery, peeled and chopped

Preheat oven to 260 °C (500 °F). Scatter the reserved bones in a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes.

Scatter the vegetables over the bones and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Transfer the cooked bones and vegetables to a saucepan. Add some water to the roasting pan and deglaze over heat. When all the caramelized partials are loose, transfer them along with the water to the saucepan.

Add sufficient water to the saucepan to cover the bones plus another 50 percent. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Simmer the contents for about 2 hours until the liquid is reduced by half. Skim any scum that forms on the surface. When reduced, strain the stock through a strainer and then through a chinois. Check the volume of the stock. If it is greater than about 200 milliliters, reduce further. Refrigerate strained stock until needed. Remove and discard any fat that congeals during cooling.

 

Sweat the shallot in butter in a saucepan over low heat.

Add the Madeira wine and reduce almost totally. Add the fond de pigeonneau and reduce substantially. Strain and return the sauce to the saucepan. Finish reducing the sauce per the main recipe.

Smoked Salmon Spread Appetizer with Cucumber Saketini Cocktail

Another January and another Christmas. My Christmas was very quiet, just the way I like it. In fact my New Year's Eve was also a quiet one. When this month's Cooking Light Supper Club theme was tapas it was perfect for my quiet evening at home. Both of my recipes are adapted from Cooking Light. I am intrigued by all these choices. All right up my alley!

Check out the rest of our menu. Pass your curser each recipe over and you will find the link.

Jerry at A Life Lived   Ginger-Shrimp Pot Stickers with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce with a Satsuma Vodka-tini

Valerie at More Than Burnt Toast has made these amazing Kibbeh Meatballs with Spiced Yogurt Sauce paired with a Pomegranate Gin Sling

Shelby at Grumpy's Honeybunch made this yummy Roasted Tomato Soup Shooters and serving with sauvignon blanc.

Sandi at Whistlestop Cafe shares a sweet with Gingered Crème Brulée. This sounds absolutely delicious. I can see enjoying an ice wine or sauternes with this.

Smoked Salmon Spread

1 lb. cold or hot smoked salmon, divided

3/4 c. reduced-fat sour cream

1 tsp. finely grated lemon rind

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 c. chopped fresh chives

Chopped fresh chives (optional) 

Place half of salmon, sour cream, rind, juice, cardamom, and pepper in a food processor. Process until smooth. Transfer salmon mixture to a bowl.

Coarsely chop remaining salmon, and fold into salmon mixture. Gently fold in 1/4 cup chives. Cover and chill. Garnish with additional chopped chives, if desired.

Cucumber Saketini

3 oz. gin

1/2 oz. sake

5 thin slices of cucumber 

3 fresh basil leaves, plus sprig for garnish 
 

In a shaker with ice, mix together the gin and sake. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with the cucumber. Add the basil to the shaker before straining. Garnish with a small basil sprig, if desired. Makes 1 serving.

One can never have too many ideas for soups. The obvious is that they are warming and hearty for winter weather. But they are also usually inexpensive. Any budget finds relief in a few meals of soup every week. What I love most about this potato soup is the cheesy crouton.

It is Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club time and this month is hosted by Val of More Than Burnt Toast with the theme Warm Up to Winter. And that is exactly what we have done. This is a treasure trove of satisfying winter recipes.

 

Visit everyone and see the wonderful food.

Val at More Than Burnt Toast has the main course. English Cottage Pie.

Susan selected this appetizer to share. And who doesn't love artichoke dip. Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip.
Shelby at Grumpy's Honeybunch brings  Haricots Vert with Bacon
Sandy Red Wine Marinated Beef Stew.

Jerry at A Life Lived made this favourite of all winter desserts, Warm Gingerbread with Lemon Glaze

Roasted Garlic and Shallot Potato Soup with Cheesy Croutons

• 5 whole garlic heads, unpeeled
• 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided 
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 10 shallots, unpeeled (about 3/4 pound)
• 2 cups coarsely chopped onion 
• 1 cup dry white wine 
• 3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled baking potato (about 3/4 pound) 
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk 
• Croutons:
• 16 (1/2-inch-thick) slices French bread baguette
• Cooking spray
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese 

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. To prepare soup, remove white papery skins from garlic heads (do not peel or separate cloves); cut off tops, leaving root ends intact. Place garlic in a shallow roasting pan. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over garlic; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover with foil. Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes. Add shallots to pan. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over shallots; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and bake for 25 minutes or until tender and browned. Cool. Squeeze garlic to extract pulp; peel shallots. Discard skins. Set garlic pulp and shallots aside.
3. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic pulp, peeled shallots, and wine. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.
4. Stir in broth, potato, and thyme; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender. Cool slightly. Place half of potato mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed mixture into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining potato mixture.
5. Return pureed mixture to pan; stir in milk, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper into pureed mixture. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
6. To prepare croutons, place bread slices in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Lightly coat tops of bread with cooking spray. Bake at 400 F for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle cheeses evenly over bread slices, turning once. Bake 3 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve warm with soup.

Cooking Light
MARCH 2003

Roasted Chanterelle Mushrooms

Last evening I dug out the rug hooking I started when I visited Nova Scotia. My how time flies. That was in 2007. I can't believe so many years have passed since that epic road trip. It was the first car ride for my Himalayan cat, Miss Sugar. It took her all of the three weeks to acclimatize to living every day in a moving vehicle. At times she looked a tad car sick, poor thing.

Soon we will be driving to the other coast and on to Vancouver Island. By now she is a seasoned traveller and cozies up in her soft carrier on the seat beside me.

As Canadian Thanksgiving leftovers are but a fond memory our neighbours to the south are making preparations for their Thanksgiving dinners. It’s fun in the blogging world to celebrate feasts all over the world. What better excuse to cook beautiful food. This month our Cooking Light Supper Club is saluting one of our favourite herbs, thyme.

I am also highlighting a premium ingredient, Saskatchewan chanterelles. Mine come from the northern part of the province and I had the opportunity to chat with my forager, Elisabeth. I learned so much.

Wild chanterelles are the most coveted of mushrooms. They are delightfully aromatic, beautifully shaped and highly nutritious. They are picked from forests across the country between mid-July to mid-October but Saskatchewan chanterelles are special. 

“They are premium because they grow in a semi-arid climate. Saskatchewan chanterelles are dry, perfect round shapes, small size, clean, velvet touch, and the aroma is unbeatable. You don't need to see them but you can smell them when you walk into the forest,” boasts Elisabeth Poscher, professional forager and owner of Prairie Infusions out of Love, SK.

Areas with more rainfall produce large, water logged, floppy chanterelles. Saskatchewan chanterelles are small and dry, because it rains briefly then it's dry, so they come in a hurry and then stay dormant in that shape until it rains again briefly, then they grow a bit more. The drier the climate the more concentrated the chemical compounds in the plant. That is why their scent and flavour are so intense.

Poscher continues, “A customer in Toronto picked up her chanterelles at the airport and she phoned me immediately and said that she could smell them as she entered the building. She has never before seen this type of quality, ever.”

Roasted chanterelles are my side dish for this month's Virtual Supper Club. Thyme is the theme. It pairs perfectly with the earthy mushrooms. Let's see what else is on the table....

I

  Sandi with Whistlestop Cafe is hosting this month's dinner. Her main course is Tacchino Arrosto con Sale e Pepe or in English Salt and Pepper Turkey. I'm sure we will find some thyme in there, too.

Val at More Than Burnt Toast whets our appetite with Flatbreads with Honey and Thyme.

Jerry at A Life Lived shares the appetizer course with Val and presents Pear Chutney Bruschetta with Pecans and Blue Cheese

Susan at The Spice Garden takes the next course with  Golden Winter Soup.

My side dish also features the beautiful chanterelle. The Roasted Chanterelles with Thyme can stand alone or be added to a risotto. I am bringing both.

Shelby at Grumpy's Honeybunch has the grand finale and is leaving thyme alone this time and bring the trending Texan Sheet Cake cupcakes for dessert. 

Roasted Chanterelle Mushrooms

Because my chanterelles are small I have left them whole to show off their beautiful shapes.

8 oz. rinsed and trimmed chanterelle mushrooms, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 thinly sliced peled shallot

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. melted butter

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

In a 12 x 15 inch baking pan, mix all ingredients. Bake in a 400 F oven, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and beginning to brown on edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Use immediately or let stand until ready to use, up to four hours.

Chanterelle Mushroom Risotto

• 

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion (8 oz.) peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced 
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
  • 1 bunch (10 to 12 oz.) red chard
  • 2 cups arborio (short-grain white) rice
  • 1 cup dry white wine 
  • About 6 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth 
  • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese 
  • 2 tablespoons butter 

  1.  In a 12-inch frying pan with 2-inch-tall sides or a 5-quart pan over medium-high heat, stir bacon until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Discard all but about 1/2 tablespoon bacon fat from pan.
  2.  Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and stir frequently until onion is very soft and browned, 20 to 25 minutes (if onion starts to scorch, reduce heat further and stir in 2 tablespoons water).
  3.  Meanwhile, rinse chard. Trim and discard stem ends. Thinly slice stems crosswise and coarsely chop leaves. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 3 quarts water to a boil. Add chard and cook, stirring occasionally, until stems are tender-crisp to bite, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain, place in a large bowl of ice water until cool, and drain again.
  4.  Add rice to onions and stir until opaque, about 3 minutes. Add wine and stir over medium heat until absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 6 cups broth, a cup at a time, stirring after each addition until almost absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes total (rice should be tender to bite).
  5.  Stir in cheese, chard, and roasted mushrooms. If risotto is thicker than desired, stir in a little more broth. Spoon risotto into wide, shallow bowls.

  Note: Begin roasting the mushrooms before you start making the risotto.

  Matthew Bousquet, Restaurant Mirepoix, Windsor, CA, Sunset
  SEPTEMBER 2004

   

Stilton Stuffed Baked Pears

A wine country feast is the menu this month. Whether you actually live in wine country or just wish you did these recipes can transport you to a happy place. The Okanagan is my favourite wine region and the wine I have chosen to use in this dessert is Black Sage port-style Pipe . You can't actually call a wine 'port' unless it is from the proper region in Portugal. However, Pipe a Portuguese term for a wine measure, hints at the type of wine in this bottle.

This dessert is rich. Your guests will be swooning. It in itself could be the star of the meal and I just might make it for Thanksgiving. Serve with a glass of Black Sage Pipe. Use a well proportioned glass as with any wine. Port can also be decanted before serving.

Sandi at Whistlestop Cafe is on appetizer duty and who doesn't love shrimp. Chardonnay Garlic Shrimp and Asparagus. 

Val at More Than Burnt Toast brings Butternut Squash White Bean Soup
 

Susan is capitalizing on the fall bounty with her Creamy Pumpkin and Sage Polenta

Jerry at A Life, Lived is hosting and has the main course of Roasted Breast of Chicken withPinot Noir Sauce. Jerry will be in California wine country within days. Have a great time, Jerry!

Shelby at Grumpy's Honeybunch is treating us with Honey Crisp Apple Sangria

Stilton Stuffed Baked Pears

• 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. butter, softened
• 1/2 c. (2 ounces) crumbled Stilton cheese
• 1/4 c. dried cranberries
• 1/4 c. chopped walnuts, toasted
• 8 peeled Bartlett pears (about 3 3/4 pounds)
• 1/4 c. apple juice 
• 1 tbsp. port

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Combine sugar and butter in a small bowl, and stir until well blended. Add cheese, cranberries, and walnuts. Stir well.
3. Cut off stem end of each pear just above where the fruit begins to widen and reserve top. Remove core from stem end, and scoop out about 2 tablespoons pulp from each pear half to form a cup, using a melon baller or spoon. If necessary, cut about 1/4 inch from base of pears so they will sit flat. Place the pears in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Fill each pear with about 2 tablespoons sugar mixture, and replace top on each.
4. Pour apple juice and port into baking dish. Bake pears at 375 F for 30 minutes or until tender. Plate the pears and pour the juice and port mixture into a pan. Reduce to about half and spoon over pears. Serve warm.

Dutch Baby Panckes

 

Brunch is a wonderful time to entertain friends. It can be easy on the budget, both time and money. It is easier to gather friends together. Just making some interesting and tasty food. This is a menu to save. Serve this with a fresh fruit compote or traditional maple syrup. Whipped cream adds a bit of specialness.

Our Cooking Light Supper Club does brunch this month. What a great collection of ideas....

Shelby–Cheddar Bacon Tomato Strata

Jerry at A Life, Lived – Savory Sausage Breakfast Rolls

 Sandi at Whistlestop Cafe Cooking – Cucumber Gazpacho with Shrimp

Val at More Than Burnt Toast- Mini Bacon and Potato Frittatas

Susan – Monkey Bread

Peach Dutch Baby Pancake

A Dutch baby is a puffy, baked pancake. Preheating the pan allows the batter to start cooking immediately and to puff up. It deflates the minute it comes out of the oven so serve quickly. This is nice with a fresh fruit compote or maple syrup and whipped cream. 

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 peaches, halved, pitted, cut into 1/4'-thick wedges
• Powdered sugar (for dusting)

• Preheat oven to 425°. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan; scrape into a blender. Add eggs, flour, milk, 1 Tbsp. sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Blend batter until smooth; set aside in blender.
• 

  Heat a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 2 Tbsp. butter and remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar starts to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Add peaches to skillet; increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 2 minutes. Briefly reblend reserved pancake batter. Pour evenly over peaches and transfer to oven.
• Bake pancake until puffed and golden brown all over, 17–20 minutes (it will deflate as soon as it's removed from the oven). Dust pancake with powdered sugar and serve immediately, passing cherry compote alongside.