Holiday Baking - bake like a pro

The finished product

 

Par-baked crust just out of the oven

To core pears, slice in half lengthwise, quarter each half, then with knife a 45 degree angle cut out the seeds/core

Pears in place

followed by custard poured on top

I have neglected this blog for way too long! I have no excuses besides I just got busy with my real job & life. I haven't stopped cooking, baking or teaching cooking classes but I did take a long break from sharing delicious recipes. Hopefully I am back! 

This Provencal Pear Tart recipe is from a cooking class I assisted my dear friend Jodi Liano, from the new San Francisco Cooking School, with a few years ago. This is a recipe that she adapted from Patricia Wells At Home in Provence. I have been making this simple, delicious tart ever since Jodi introduced me to easy baking! Bake a like a pro or at least fake being a pro with this simple crowd pleasing tart. It's perfect for any holiday table!

Provencal Pear Tart

CRUST:	FILLING:
½ c. unsalted butter, melted and cooled (1 stick)	½ cup heavy cream
½ c. sugar	1 egg
1/8  t. almond extract	½ teaspoon almond extract
pinch of salt	2 T. honey
1¼ c. plus 1 tablespoon flour	1 T. flour, sifted
2 T. finely ground almonds
	4-5 firm but ripe pears such as Bosc (I used Harry & David gifted pears I had on hand in these photos)
	Confectioner’s sugar, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Make the crust by combining the melted butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl.  Add the extract, salt, flour and almonds. Stir just to combine.  Transfer the dough to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press evenly into the sides and bottom of the pan.  Bake on a sheet pan until dry, about 15-20 minutes.  Set on a rack to cool and leave the oven on.  While still warm, use a fork or the bottom of a measuring cup to press the dough down if loses its shape from baking.

While the crust is baking, whisk together the filling by combining the cream, egg, extract and honey in a medium mixing bowl.  Mix well and gently whisk in the sifted flour. 

Core the pears and cut them in very thin slices, lengthwise.  Starting from the outside edge of the crust and working to the center, arrange the pears in a spiral circle with the rounded end of the slices facing towards the outside of the pan.  If you have enough pear slices, repeat with another layer of pears on top of the bottom layer.  Pour the filling mixture over the pears and return the tart to the oven.  Bake until the filling is set and the crust is golden brown and the custard has set, about 20-30 minutes.  Cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.  Dust with confectioner’s sugar and slice.

Serves 8

 

(adapted from Jodi Liano, SF Cooking School)

A black bean burger that has never been frozen

Burgers - the end result plus the pre-bake shot

The recipe for Southwest Veggie Burgers is revealed below. I made these tonight at my Health Starts Here cooking demo at Whole Foods OKC. These burgers can be made in a snap as long as you have prepared two ingredients ahead: brown rice and a sweet potato. They are hearty, earthy and a little crunchy in every sense of the word. For all of those vegans out there this recipe calls for nutritional yeast. Found in the bulk section at any Whole Foods type market, nutritional yeast adds not only a bit of a cheesy flavor but essential B vitamins that most women need more of. No salt needed, just some lettuce, avocado & dijon mustard on top!

Southwest Veggie Burger
Ingredients:
1/4 cup diced roasted red bell peppers
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1 cup cooked sweet potato, cut into ½ cubes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon no-salt-added chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 green onions, finely chopped
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (found in the bulk section)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Tabasco or other hot sauce
1/4 cup diced tomato
1 cup cooked no-salt-added black beans
1 cup cooked brown rice*


Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray if so inclined.

2. Combine roasted red peppers through Tabasco in the bowl of a large food processor. Pulse to combine. Mixture should look like a cohesive batter without many lumps.

3. Transfer batter into a medium bowl. Stir in the remaining 3 ingredients to combine.

4. Form the mixture into patties using wet hands or an ice cream scoop with a release lever. Place patties on prepared baking sheet and bake, very carefully turning patties once after 20 minutes. Continue to cook until browned and slightly crisp on the outside, 30 minutes total for sliders. Longer for large burgers.

5. Serve warm on individual butter lettuce leafs topped with sliced avocado.


Makes 10 sliders (1/3 cup portions) or 4 very large burgers


Recipe technique adapted from Whole Foods Market (Jill Nevard)

Note to cook brown rice: Bring 1 cup of water or low-sodium broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add ½ cup of short grain brown rice. Stir once, reduce heat to simmer, cover with a lid and cook uninterrupted for 45 minutes. ½ cup dry rice will make 1 ½ cups cooked rice.

Healthy cooking starts now

Southwest black bean & brown rice burger

Join me this Tuesday, January 17th at Whole Foods OKC as I discuss and prepare foods from the market's Health Starts Here program. Get inspired to cook whole unprocessed foods in your own kitchen. As we all know, there's no better time than January to start rethinking what we are putting in our body.

See you at 6 pm in the indoor/outdoor eating space. Free samples of everything good for you provided. 

Note: I will post the recipe for this amazing black bean & brown rice burger after I demo it on Tuesday night.