Published by mel on November 18, 2009 in breakfast, dessert, recipe and sides & bites.
On the subject of pie vs. crumble, I must admit that I’m torn. Sometimes, I like a good and messy crumble with plenty of oats and brown sugar. Other times, I prefer the neat triangles and flaky crust of a pie. Well, I will no longer choose between the two. It’s like Sophie’s Choice. Ok, so maybe I exaggerate, but it really is a tough decision and I won’t make it anymore.
I’m taking Thanksgiving off this year to go on vacation (yay!), but I didn’t want to miss the big Thanksgiving meal we only have once a year. I’ve been making stuffing, roasted squash and carrot pumpkin soup all month to make up for it. Last weekend, I made dessert.
The questions was: Pie or crumble? Why not both? This pie has a ton of crumble top on it, which is much easier – and tastier – than a lattice top. I usually make apple, but since this year we’re going non-traditional, I used pears. All I can say is: Wow. See you later apples – I’m making pear pie from now on. The vanilla and cinnamon bring out the pear flavor, and the crumble top was thick, crunchy and a perfect contrast to the filling.
Served with a ball of vanilla ice cream, it was an amazing way to end just about any meal.
Continue reading ‘Thanksgiving Recipe: Vanilla & Pear Crumble Pie’
Published by mel on November 13, 2009 in entree and recipe.
Last Saturday was one of those busy errand days where you do nothing but run from store to store, then come home and clean the house and go for a run. You know – they kind of day that makes you really hungry, but by the end of it, there’s no way you want to cook. Good thing I started this braise hours before dinner, before I’d cleaned the house and expended all my energy. Good thing it was a mostly one-pot meal and I’d already washed and put away all the prep dishes before collapsing. And dinner? Not to get overly Martha, but it was a very Good Thing.
I used pomegranate juice, fresh orange juice and red wine as my braising liquids and dried guijillo peppers and tart cherries for flavor. The juice and wine reduced into a deliciously concentrated sauce, the peppers lent some good spice to contrast the plump cherries and the meat was so very tender that I had a hard time moving it to the serving dish without it falling apart.
This dish is everything I wanted at the end of that long day. And leftovers were just as good or even better. My favorite kind of meal.
Continue reading ‘Pomegranate & Cherry Braised Pork’
Published by mel on November 10, 2009 in breakfast, entree, recipe and sides & bites.
I don’t know how much you know about Detroit, but pretty much every diner in the Detroit Metro area serves Greek food, which means you can get Greek Salad, Gyros, Tzatziki, Lemon Rice Soup, Saganaki (Greek fried cheese) and Spanokopita anytime, anywhere. It’s amazing. We always hit up Leo’s Coney Island when we’re in town and I can’t wait to get my fix when we’re there for Christmas.
So, it turns out, Tom loves Spanokopita. This was news to me since he almost always gets the Gyro or the Greek salad or the Lemon Rice Soup. Never the spinach pie. Nonetheless, I was craving a good Spinach pie with a flaky filo crust, so I got to work.
I made a simple stuffing with sauteed onions, garlic, spinach, lemon and good feta cheese. I also didn’t add filo to the bottom of the baking dish because it always gets soggy. Tell me, what is the point of filo dough if it isn’t crisp and flaky? But don’t worry, I added a few extra sheets to the top to made up for it.
It was everything I could ever ask for in a light lunch or snack – flaky, flavorful, full of good stuff and delicious.
Continue reading ‘Spanokopita (Spinach Pie)’
Published by mel on November 6, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
Hello blog! I’ve missed you so very much this week! Silly things like traffic and being sick have kept me away, but I’m back and I want to tell you about this pasta I made. It’s got roasted delicata squash, lots of spicy Spanish chorizo, toasted hazelnuts and sage. It’s smoky and nutty, a little sweet and just right for fall.
If you think nuts and pasta are a kind of weird together, you shouldn’t. Hazelnuts add a nice toasty flavor and some textural contrast to the squash. Without them, this pasta would be missing something. Some might even accuse it of being mushy. Go ahead, add the hazelnuts. (unless you’re allergic, of course. Then, please skip the nuts!)
It’s a simple meal that hits the spot.
Continue reading ‘Squash, Chorizo & Hazelnut Pasta’
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