This simple dish depends on high-quality ingredients. Almost any flavor of preserves will work, though fig is divine. And while either Bartlett or Comice pears work with the flavors of the recipe, you'll be in for a special treat if you use Comice.
Toss pears with juice. Thinly slice pear halves, cutting to but not through, the stem ends. Fan each pear half. Place on a platter. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese on each pear half; dollop each with 1 tablespoon preserves.
Cooking Light OCTOBER 2001
Celebrate autumn with two of its stars--squash and apples.
Photo by: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Lydia DeGaris-Pursell
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leek and next 5 ingredients (leek through garlic), and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add squash, water, and apple; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until tender.
Place half of soup in a blender; process until smooth. Pour puréed soup into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with the remaining soup. Return soup to pan; stir in cream and salt. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle each serving with about 1 tablespoon cilantro.
Cooking Light OCTOBER 2001
Serve this tart warm or at room temperature.
Preheat oven to 375°.
Unroll dough, separating into strips. Let rest 5 minutes. Working on a flat surface, coil one strip of dough around itself in a spiral pattern. Add second strip of dough to end of first strip, pinching ends together to seal; continue coiling dough. Repeat procedure with remaining dough strips. Let rest 5 minutes. Roll into a 13-inch circle; fit into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Fold edges under; flute.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leek, pepper, and potato; sauté 4 minutes. Spread leek mixture into prepared crust.
Place the milk, egg substitute, cheeses, and mustard in a blender, and process until smooth. Pour milk mixture over leek mixture. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes; let stand for 10 minutes.
Cooking Light OCTOBER 2001
You can substitute other cheeses, such as cheddar, Gouda, or Gruyère, in place of the Roquefort.
Coat a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange 5 bread slices in bottom of dish in a single layer. Pour 1 cup wine over bread. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Top with 3/4 cup cheese. Arrange the pear slices over cheese; top with remaining bread, wine, salt, pepper, and cheese.
Combine milk and eggs in a bowl; stir well with a whisk. Pour the milk mixture over the bread mixture. Let stand 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425°.
Cover strata and bake at 425° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes.
Cooking Light OCTOBER 2001
Try this bread with Pears with Goat Cheese and Preserves for a light lunch.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 8 ingredients (flour through nutmeg) in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Stir in walnuts and figs. Combine buttermilk, molasses, oil, and eggs in a bowl; add to flour mixture. Stir just until moist.
Spoon batter into an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack, and remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
Cooking Light OCTOBER 2001
Because rye flour produces a soft dough, we added whole wheat flour, bread flour, and cornmeal to give the loaf body.
Photo by: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Lydia DeGaris-Pursell
Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in oil. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 cups bread flour, whole wheat flour, and the next 5 ingredients (whole wheat flour through pepper) in a bowl. Add flour mixture to yeast mixture. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining bread flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands. Knead in raisins, walnuts, and rosemary.
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 10 minutes. Form dough into a ball; place in a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 400°.
Uncover dough. Score top of loaf in a diamond pattern using a sharp knife. Bake at 400° for 50 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pan, and cool on a wire rack.
To serve the bread, cut the loaf in half lengthwise. Place the cut sides down, and cut each half into slices.
Cooking Light OCTOBER 2001
In addition to rehydrating the dried apricots and cranberries, the cider deepens the flavor of the apples.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Bring cider to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in apricots and cranberries. Let stand 20 minutes. Drain dried fruit in a colander over a bowl, reserving cider.
Combine dried fruit, cereal, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl.
Combine 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in reserved cider, honey, and vanilla. Add apples, tossing gently to coat. Place apple mixture in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with cereal mixture.
Bake at 350° for 55 minutes.
Cooking Light OCTOBER 2001
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