pear crostada

We decided to have a simple meal of all vegetables this evening.  We had roasted broccoli and brussell sprouts.   We had fried eggplant and okra.  Between the CSA box and our garden, I had a lot of all of these that needed using.

The last time we were at the grocery store, Small Mister asked for pears.  Small Mister and I had dinner by ourselves on Saturday.  We had cheese bread with prosciutto.  I was planning this dessert then but we were not very hungry so I had a bit of pizza dough leftover.  The pear that became more then a bit bruised became pear crostada.  

I made a very small crostada to go with all the vegetables.  My Beloved oohed over it.  Or was it more of a hum....  That I am not sure.  I know I would have liked it for my whole meal.  The flavors were just that good.  The pizza dough had been in the refrigerator for four days so there was a lot of flavor there that had developed.  Then the pear roasted with a bit of brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter.   It made its own sauce.  

This would also be very good for breakfast.  Just a thought.

pear crostada

1/4 to 1/3 recipe of pizza dough  (mine had been in the refrigerator for four days)

1 pear, peeled, cored, and sliced

1 to 2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

On a piece of parchment paper, roll out the pizza dough very thin.  Place the sliced pears in the center.  Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together.  Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons over the pears.  Add the butter.  

Pull the sides of the dough up over the edge of the fruit but not covering it completely.  Sprinkle a bit more of the sugar mixture over the dough.  I really only used about half of what I mixed but what you use will depend on your own taste.

Bake for 17 minutes or until golden and the fruit is soft. 

I would suggest to let it cool off so you do not burn your mouth but I understand if you cannot.  This might also be very good with some vanilla ice cream or some heavy cream drizzled over it.  I do not think it needs it though.

sourdough crumpets

I had a friend ask me if I had ever tried making crumpets.  I told him I had thought about it but never had tried.  In Seattle, there is a crumpet shop in the Pike Place Market that I always loved going to.  When I moved away, I did miss the crumpets.  You can get them from the grocery store now but they are just not the same.  My friends prompting was just enough impetus for me to try.

They were actually quite easy.  The one gotcha is that the griddle has to be at a low enough heat to cook them without burning but not so low that they do not cook.  A balancing act just like everything in life.  I will make them again but I always make too much batter.  Yes, the batter seems to refrigerate well but the crumpets are not hole filled during that "baking."  It just means they do not sop up the butter and honey in the same way.  They are still very yummy.

The real key is patience.  Just like most of life.

sourdough crumpets

sourdough starter

1 cup flour 

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup water

1 1/4 cup milk

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix the sourdough starter, 1 cup flour, and 3/4 cup water in a non-metal bowl the night before or eight hours before you wish the crumpets.  Cover and let sit in a warm space.

The next morning, remove a couple tablespoons of starter for the next baking.  Add the 1/4 cup water, milk, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, sugar, and salt.  Cover and let sit in a warm place until spongy.  

Heat a griddle over low to medium low heat.  Grease metal rings.  I used round cookie cutters.  Add a small bit of oil to the griddle.  Place the rings on the griddle.  Fill the rings with the batter until about half full.  "Bake" until the top of the crumpet is dry.  The length of time this will take will depend on the heat of your griddle.  Not to hot to burn, remember.  

Make sure the crumpet is not stuck to the ring.  Turn the crumpet and remove the ring.  Let this side brown.

Eat with butter and honey.

I know these freeze well.  Next time I might bake them all at once and freeze what I do not eat.  That way I would get the holes!  Thoughts that come to me when I am typing.

arepas filled with smoky lentils and smoked blue cheese

Last week, I had lunch in the historical house park in Houston with a friend.  He knows I like tiny houses and he wanted me to see one.  I also did not know there were picnic tables where there were which means when the rain stops I have someplace to hide away from office at lunch!  It was very much a win.  The only glitch in the plan was that I was planning on bringing my lunch from home not eating out.  Well, you see, my Beloved was still hungry after dinner and he ate my lunch.  I told him it was okay.

I had made myself some arepas filled with smoky lentils and smoked blue cheese.  I used my newest arepa recipe  but instead of cheddar cheese, I used a smoked blue cheese from the Grateful Bread dudes and my smoky lentils.  There was about a teaspoon of filling in each arepa.  They were so good.  Next time, I will have to make more for my lunch.

Today was all about trying to feel better.  My body worker made some suggestions:  more water, work on my breathing, and add yoga back into my life.  I will be trying.

smoky lentils

There was obliviously a taco theme going through the food world last week.  The New York Times Dining and Food section had a lot of recipes.  Pinterest had a lot of recipes.  I saw a lot of food blog with taco recipes.  I do not think of tacos as something hard to make so most of the time it is okay, move on.  But the smoky lentil filling I saw caught my interest.  We eat a lot of beans, especially black beans, and lentils are a nice change.  

Reading through the recipe, my thought was nice idea but I am going to change it to what is in my kitchen.  That made life much easier.  The smoky flavor was nice.  We have liked our beans on salads recently instead of tortillas but this would be good in tortillas.

smoky lentils

1 cup dark green lentils, well washed and picked over

2 cups water

1 onion, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon smokey sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon alder smoked salt

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

I am lazy, so I put the lentils and water in the slow cooker and let them cook most of the day.  You may have to add more then 2 cups of water if you do not wish to have them dry out.  Drain the excess water before the next step.  Or you can put the lentils and water in a pot. Bring to a boil.  Turn down to a simmer.  Cook until the lentils are soft.  Most recipes will say 20 minutes.  I find it is really closer to 45 minutes.  Undercooked lentils are just not fun to the digestive system.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil and onion.  Cook until brown.  Add the rest of the spices.  Cook for a few minutes and make sure well stirred.  Mix in the drained lentils.  Cook until hot.  Make sure the spices are well mixed.

Serve in tortillas or on salad or with eggs.....

cheese arepas (or anything you wish to fill them with)

The New York Times dining and food section this week was all about tacos.  But it was really about masa because they had an arepa recipe too.  There is not much to an arepa recipe.  They all use about the same ingredients but this one had a different cooking method which seemed like it would make life so much easier - broil in the oven instead of fry in a skillet.  This change worked well.  I filled the arepas with cheese but you do not have to fill them or you can try something else.  I wish I had some lady beans to go with the cheese.  A bit of each and it would have been a lovely meal unto itself.

My Beloved said dinner last night was so good he needed to do all the dishes so I could create tonight.  I have the feeling he felt the same about tonight's dinner even though it was a repeat performance.  I would make the arepas again for more dishes done any time.

arepas

Note:  I just wanted to make a couple so I used only 1/2 cup of masa harina.  Use the package for the porportions for how many you wish to make and scale all ingredients accordingly.

1/2 cup of masa harina

almost 1/2 cup of water

a pinch of salt

about 1 teaspoon drizzle of olive oil

1 tablespoon grated cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

Mix the masa, water, salt, and 1 teaspoon olive oil together.  It will all come together and bring it into a ball.  Let sit at least 15 minutes.

Preheat the broiler.  Either oil a oven proof skillet or oil a piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet.  Break the ball of dough in two.  Flatten one ball, fill with cheese, bring the dough around the cheese, and flatten.  Do the same to the other ball.  

Lay on the skillet.  Turn over.  Put under the broiler and cook about 5 minutes a side.  You want lightly golden.

Really yummy and so much easier this way.