Pear Butter

December 14, 2014 by Mackenzie

Oh, it’s been so nice to have free time again! I’ve been able to go to the gym most days or at least take a big walk with Calli, have been able to cook and join my friends for meals, watch The West Wing, and sleep! Two nights ago I fell asleep on the couch and fell asleep there again yesterday afternoon! But who cares, right? Yes, I should be working more on my thesis then I am, but hey – I’ve got a great start on it and am trying to spend at least two hours a day on it. That should give me a solid start come January when I really need to get cracking.

I head back to Seattle on Wednesday and am looking forward to spending time with my family and seeing old friends! I’ve only spent 11 days in Seattle since January so it will be some much needed family time before I venture off into the unknown come May!

This week the Coop had our annual Winter Potluck and I brought this Pear Butter with Brie and crackers. Oh my goodness, it was delicious! I found the recipe in the Weight Watcher’s Holiday magazine and was excited to have an opportunity to try it! The recipe itself is so easy to make – have you ever made homemade applesauce? It’s just like that. You cut the pears into small bite-sized pieces and boil it down with apple cider. I used an immersion blender to make it smooth and voila – a delicious and easy appetizer! It’s a perfect spread on crackers and cheese or toast, or even just to eat like applesauce!

Pear Butter

Recipe Type: Appetizer

Author: Mackenzie

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 12 servings

A great holiday appetizer! Quick, easy and only 1 WW point per 1/4 cup.

Ingredients

5 Comice pears, cored and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
Serve with cheese and crackers

Instructions

In a medium/large saucepan, add the chopped pears, apple cider, and the cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook over medium-high heat to get a roiling boil. Continue to cook at medium heat until the pears are soft, 10-15 minutes.
From here, you can do a couple of things. I used an immersion blender to puree the pears while still in the saucepan. It left a few small chunks but I loved it that way and it was super easy.
Alternatively, you can remove the pears and puree them separately in a food processor. Continue to simmer the remaining liquid until it reduces to a syrup. Then pour the syrup into the food processor and blend it with the pears. This will probably get you a smoother substance but I couldn’t find the Coop’s food processor so I was left with the immersion blender.
Serve with crackers and cheese for a great appetizer!

Caramelized Onion & Gruyere Tart

November 13, 2014 by Mackenzie

I cannot believe it’s mid-November – the time is flying! I only have two more full weeks of class this semester. How is that possible?! I’m not ready for this semester to be done… I feel like I’m just getting into the groove with my classes – I love the material and my professors… Gosh, it’s crazy to think I’ll be on the downhill slide of college in just a little over a month!

I registered for my final semester of classes this week. It hasn’t quite hit me that this is the end. No more pouring over course listings, no more playing with my registration worksheet – I’m set for this last semester! It’s going to be a light semester and I am so looking forward to that! That’s what your senior spring semester is supposed to be, right? 🙂 Although I’m sure I’ll be filling my spare time pouring over job listings and writing cover letters… oh, what fun!

Today I’ve got this delicious savory tart to share with you! I needed a quick and easy dish to bring to a potluck and I started day-dreaming about a tart with caramelized onions, creamy cheese and herbs while I was in class today. So I came home and created this Caramelized Onion and Gruyere Tart! It turned out wonderfully, and beautiful too! I almost wish I hadn’t brought it to the potluck because I only got a small slice and I would have loved to have more! I’ll just have to make it again!

I combined a couple of different recipes for this: the crust is from Williams Sonoma and the filling I adapted from Lovely Bits Blog. The end result was fantastic and I will definitely be making this again – it was so easy and perfect on a chilly winter night.

Caramelized Onion & Gruyere Tart

Recipe Type: Appetizer, Dinner

Cuisine: Savory

Author: Mackenzie

Prep time: 1 hour 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 1 hour 30 mins

Serves: 8 slices

A savory tart with a flaky crust and mouthwatering filling. It is easy to make and wonderfully shareable! You’ll amaze your guests!

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3-4 tablespoons ice water
2 tablespoons butter
2 large vidalia (sweet) onions, halved and sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 egg white, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
3/4 cup shredded gruyere cheese
Fresh rosemary or dried herbs

Instructions

Prepare the crust: In a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt and sugar just to combine. Add the butter and pulse until pea-sized pieces form. Add the water and pulse until dough comes together in a ball. Gather dough into a ball, form into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a circle just a little bigger than your tart pan. Carefully transfer the dough to the tart pan. Chill for another 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, salt, pepper, and sugar. Cook onions for 8-10 minutes over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until tender. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 7-10 more minutes, until onions are browned and caramelized.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush crust with egg white and spread dijon mustard over crust. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese over the mustard and then top with the caramelized onions. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top and finish with some fresh rosemary or dried herbs sprinkled over the top.
Bake at 425 for 17-19 minutes, until crust is golden and cheese is melted. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Falafel Hummus

September 6, 2014 by Mackenzie

Okay, why have I never attempted to make my own hummus before?! I am a big veggies/hummus/pita eater… its a healthy, easy go-to meal or snack but I ALWAYS go through my hummus so fast! And have you realized how expensive it is to buy? It’s crazy!

It’s really crazy because of how EASY it is to make your own! I know a lot of people who make their own hummus, I had just never tried it. Well, I saw this recipe for Falafel hummus on pinterest and decided to give it a whirl! I had a can of chickpeas in my pantry and I had all the spices on hand – so it was incredibly easy and inexpensive to make!

Plus, it is so satisfying! It is easy to tweak the flavors and adjust to your liking too! I can’t wait to try more soon!

Falafel Hummus

Recipe Type: side, dip

Cuisine: vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan

Author: Mackenzie

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Recipe adapted from VeggieandtheBeastFeast.com

Ingredients

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons tahini
6 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to drizzle on top

Instructions

Place chickpeas, garlic, oregano, cumin, coriander, chili powder, crushed red pepper, sea salt, tahini and water in a food processor and blend until smooth. Scrap down sides as needed. Pour olive oil in while blending and process until smooth. Add more water if you want a smoother texture.
To serve, transfer to a serving dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika. Serve with vegetables like cucumbers or carrots or pita and falafel.

Pear Bites with Pancetta, Goat Cheese and Honey

December 19, 2013 by Mackenzie

It’s finally Christmas break! I’m so happy to be home, to be able to spend time with my family and to craft some new recipes. Check back often because I’ve got a lot of good ones to share!

Today, I’m sharing an appetizer that I made for the first time last Thanksgiving and has been a hit at every family gathering since! It’s very simple to make, yet the flavors meld so uniquely and give each bite a complex, sweet and salty flavor. They would be perfect as an appetizer at a Christmas or New Year’s gathering – I promise you won’t disappoint yourself, or your guests if you make them!

Pear Bites with Pancetta, Goat Cheese and Honey
Makes 12, but easily multiplied
Recipe from Eat.Drink.Smile.

Ingredients:
12 thin slices pancetta (about 1/3 lb)
1 large Bartlett pear
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
Freshly cracked pepper
Honey

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Carefully peel the pancetta slices apart and arrange on the baking sheet (keep in circular shapes). Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden. Lay a paper towel over a cooling rack and transfer the pancetta to it. Let sit for 10 minutes to cool and get crispy.

2. Core pear with a corer (just so the core comes out not an apple slicer! If you don’t have one, you can find them pretty cheap at a kitchen gadget store like Bed, Bath and Beyond). Cut pear crosswise into 12 thin rings (see photo for thickness). Arrange slices on serving platter then place one slice of crisped pancetta on each pear slice. Top each slice with goat cheese and drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with pepper. Serve right away (they don’t keep well for a second day so you better eat them all!)

Caramelized Onion, Dijon and Gruyere Puff Pastry

February 22, 2013 by Mackenzie

My mom and Tom shared this recipe with me. They went to a dinner party with some friends of theirs and one of their friends brought this appetizer. They loved it and asked for the recipe and passed it to me! It’s shockingly simple but tasty and looks like you put a whole bunch of work into it 🙂 I brought it to a potluck and people loved it! They kept going back for more and it disappeared far too quickly!

The original recipe calls for a layer of salami but since so many of my friends are vegetarian, I switched out the salami for Caramelized onions. It worked great!

Caramelized Onions, Dijon and Gruyere Puff Pastry
Makes a 10×10 square
Recipe Adapted from a cookbook but I have no idea which one since I just have a cropped picture!

Ingredients:

1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
Olive oil
6 oz Gruyere cheese, grated (or whatever kind you like)
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Heat oil in a shallow saucepan (enough to coat bottom). Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until browned and caramelized. Remove from heat.

3. Meanwhile, roll out one sheet of pastry into a 10×10 square (mine came as a rolled up square). Spread mustard over the pastry, leaving a one inch border all the way around. Next, spread the onions on top of the mustard layer. Finally, spread the grated cheese on top. Brush the border with some of the egg wash.

4. Cover with second sheet of puff pastry (rolled out similarly). Pinch edges together and brush the whole thing with the remaining egg wash. Cut three large slits in the top for steam to escape and chill for 15 minutes.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until top is golden brown (mine was shorter than that). Allow to cool slightly, then cut into squares and serve warm.

Mackenzie

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