Winter fruit salad with lemon poppy seed dressing

https://www.cookingclassy.com/winter-fruit-salad-lemon-poppy-seed-dressing/

I've made this a few times this winter.  I enjoy the flavor, and the various textures of the bananas and other fruits.  Jerry's doesn't love it, but many others have, so see what you think.  I'm unable to get pomegranates now, because they're out of season, so I substituted dried cranberries for the color.  Unfortunately they also add sugar.  Overall, I think it's a keeper!

Salad Ingredients: 
8 mandarin oranges , peeled and segmented
4 apples (preferably 2 gala and 2 golden delicious)
4 ripe kiwis peeled and diced
4 bananas , peeled and diced
1 1/2 cup pomegranate arils (from about 1 large)

Dressing Ingredients:
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp honey

2 tsp poppy seeds

Directions:
1) For the dressing: In a mixing bowl or jar whisk together lemon juice and sugar until sugar has dissolved.  Mix in olive oil, vegetable oil and honey until well blended. Stir in poppy seeds.

2) For the fruit salad: In a salad bowl toss together all of the fruit then pour dressing over top and gently toss to coat.

Serve immediately for best results.

Fall Fruit Salad - Apples, pears and dates

Adapted from www.passthechallah.com  

I made this for Thanksgiving 2017 and New Years Day and everyone loved it!  It's a good change from the usual fruit salads.  The lemon in the dressing keeps the apples from turning brown.  It's best, though, if used the same day as it is prepared because the pears start to get soft overnight.

Ingredients:
⅔ cup pecans
4 pears
4 apples
⅔ cup pomegranate seeds
4-6 figs (I didn't have figs so I used dates; would increase the quantity of either)
1 small bunch grapes

¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
Orange zest for garnish (optional)

Instructions:
1) Lightly toast pecans in a 350 degree oven for 5-6 minutes, or until golden and fragrant. Roughly chop.
2) To make the dressing, pour maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and lemon juice in a small bowl and stir until combined.
3) Cut pears and apples into thin slices. Quarter figs and half grapes.
4) Combine pecans, pears, apples, figs, grapes, pomegranate seeds in a large bowl. Toss with dressing, adding a little at a time until the desired amount is reached. Top with a sprinkling of fresh orange zest if desired. Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Pancakes with Raspberry Sauce

https://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/recipes/double-chocolate-pancakes-raspberry-sauce/15125/

This was part of Father's Day brunch for 2016.  Just a starter to the rest of the day -- a stop at the Dupont Circle farmer's market for soup, a stroll over to Nat Geo for the Greece exhibit (finally learned that those wavy looking hairdos were actually helmets with animal's horns arranged in that pattern), and the highlight, Amsterdam Falafel and fries.

The pancakes were on the dry side and were probably trying to be too healthy - could use more chocolate chips.  But the basic idea was good - using minimal sugar and unsweetened cocoa for a sort of chocolate taste.  Definitely increase the chips, maybe chop them (as recommended) to distribute them better.

The berry sauce on the other hand was quick and very worthwhile.  I had 'aged' berries - that had been in the freezer for a long time, but the sauce came out excellent.  So it was mixed berries instead of just raspberries, including some additional cherries, with a quick squeeze of lemon to improve the taste.

Tasted good on the pancakes, but even better on cantaloupe and raspberries the next day.  Would make a pretty fruit serving for company.  It's relatively thick like a compote, so a bit more water would create more of a sauce.  Would likely also be good in plain yogurt.

Deep-dish winter fruit pie with walnut crumble

To save the trouble of making a crust and to decrease the calories, I made this without a crust.  Since I couldn't find figs, I substituted about 1/4 cup dried cranberries and 1/4 cup golden raisins.  It came out delicious and filled a deep pie dish and an 8x8 inch square.  It became better each day, and sweeter, making me think that we could do without the raisins.  Even the cranberries, which can be quite tart, became sweet with the baking.

This deep-dish crumb-topped pie combines several winter fruits and confirms that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The pears become soft, the apples remain slightly firm, the figs add texture and sweetness, and the tart cranberries pop in your mouth, making this rustic pie a sensory treat. Be sure to plan ahead, as this recipe calls for chilling the dough for one hour, chilling it again after you roll it out (this reduces shrinkage of the crust during baking), and then baking the pie for over an hour. It is an hours-long process, off and on, but it is worth every minute. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a glass of apple or pear brandy (preferably from Clear Creek Distillery), it is the perfect final touch to a dinner party.

ingredients

Pie Pastry

• 1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 12 tablespoons (6 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons ice water
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Walnut Crumb Topping

• 3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup packed (5 3/4 ounces) brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) raw walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

Fruit Filling

• 1 cup (5 1/2 ounces) dried figs (see below)
• 4 small apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/2 inch thick (12 ounces prepped)
• 4 pears, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/2 inch thick (1 1/4 pounds prepped)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• I left out the figs (because I couldn't find any) and added 1/4 cup dried cranberries ; consider 1/4 cup raisins

preparation

To make the pie pastry, put the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl, stir to combine, then put the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Add the butter to the flour mixture and toss to evenly coat. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender, a food processor, an electric mixer, or your hands, just until the mixture becomes coarse and crumbly and the butter is the size of peas. Stir the water and lemon juice together, then pour over the dry ingredients and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured work surface and press it into a 6-inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Roll the chilled dough into a 14-inch disk, then line a 9 or 10 by 3-inch springform pan with the rolled-out dough. Patch any holes and trim off any dough that hangs over the edges of the pan. Chill for an additional 30 minutes while you prepare the crumb topping and the fruit filling.

To make the walnut crumb topping, mix the flour, brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl. Stir in the butter, then work it in with your hands until the texture of crumbs. Put the topping in the refrigerator while you make the fruit filling.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.

To make the fruit filling, remove the stem from each fig, then boil the figs in 1 cup of water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Slice each fig into 4 to 5 pieces, put them in a large bowl, and add the apples, pears, and cranberries. Separately, rub the sugar and cornstarch together, then add to the fruit and gently toss until evenly coated.

Transfer the filling to the pie shell and top with the walnut crumb. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the crumb is golden, the fruit juices are bubbling thickly around the edges, and the fruit is tender when pierced with a wooden skewer. If the crumb is getting too dark, cover it with foil.

Storage: Covered with a tea towel, the pie will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. Spooned into a bowl and drizzled with chilled cream, it makes a wonderful breakfast.

Reprinted with permission from Rustic Fruit Desserts: Crumbles, Buckles, Cobblers, Pandowdies, and More by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson, copyright © 2009. Photography © 2009 by Sara Remington. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.

Watermelon and mint - have your bowl and eat it too!

Before the watermelon season is over, try this creative serving idea with peaches and mint!  Watermelon is, as you would assume, mostly … water, and weighs in at only 46 calories per cup, which is mostly sugar.  A good sweet watermelon doesn't necessarily need anything to improve it, but this combination with peaches, berries and mint really hit the spot tonight.  The mint especially made the taste of the peaches and watermelon pop!

Mint comes in 600 varieties, but the two that we're most familiar with are peppermint and spearmint.  Peppermint is used mostly in the form of oil in sweet treats, like candy or ice cream; spearmint, which you can find in the produce section of the supermarket with other fresh spices, is more savory.  It is used in certain Indian dishes, and a favorite of mine, Thai green curry paste, as well as in mojitos with tequila and citrus.

Mint is rich in menthol, which makes you aware of the cold receptors in your mouth and on your skin.  You may be familiar with this from the cool sensation from mouthwashes or the icy sensation of Vicks VapoRub.  It was often added to cigarettes; we now know it decreases the cough reflex, so it enabled, and with its cool taste encouraged, more people to smoke cigarettes.  It has been used to treat gastrointestinal symptoms.  By relaxing the muscles of the GI tract, it eases bloating, cramping, and bowel irregularities.  One caution though, is that by relaxing the muscles, can sometimes worsen heartburn and reflux.

Here's a creative fruit bowl creation for a summer day.

Ingredients:
1 watermelon
Mixed fruits to fill 1/2 the melon:
blueberries
strawberries
peaches
kiwi

2 Tbsp fresh mint, sliced thinly

Directions:
First, cut a thin slice off of the long side of the melon. This will prevent the melon from rolling once it is filled.

Then cut the melon in half.  If you'd like to make a basket shape leave a handle intact across the
top.  You can make a stroller by leaving half of the top intact.

Then, scoop out the watermelon with a melon or ice cream scooper.  Let the empty melon drain
upside down for a few hours if possible.  Refrigerate the melon balls.

Meanwhile, cut up any other fruits - I used white and yellow peaches, berries and kiwi. Add fresh
squeezed OJ just to coat the peaches and keep them from turning dark.  Refrigerate.

When you're ready to serve, combine the melon, other fruit and toss with mint.  Fill the basket - and
you're done!