I am finally here in NYC after a long 22-hour flight. *Phew* I might have told some of you that I will be in NYC and Connecticut for work, and here I am! Work has brought me to US, and I will be in Connecticut over the next 2 months. This is my first work trip, so I am really excited about this. Amidst the excitement, I was bored stiff during my flight, so I tried to kill some time during my flight with this post:
Since I started on my new job, I have not had much time to cook (or even blog). Breakfast has been my usual fuss-free savory oatmeal, fruit salad or granola; lunch has been on-the-go; dinner has been more of a social gathering with different groups of friends. While I think catching up with friends over dinner is a wonderful thing to do, I find myself missing home-cooked meals, and spending some personal time in the kitchen.
So when I finally managed to sneak in some time on Saturday morning, I decided to kick start the weekend with some dessert for breakfast – Vanilla-scented Poached Pears. Since the theme for this fortnight’s cookbook challenge is ‘Desserts’, I am sending this in for that.
Poached fruits are not what one would typically think of when desserts are concerned; chocolate usually tops my list for desserts. They are like the unsung hero amongst desserts . You often forget about them, until someone reminds you about how great they are. For me, that ‘someone’ is The Candle Cafe Cookbook – a cookbook that my friend, May, gave me when she returned from her New York trip some time back. The Candle Cafe Cookbook is a cookbook by the Candle Cafe, a vegan restaurant that May fell in love with during her trip to NYC. Knowing that I enjoy vegan dishes as much as she does, May decided to share with me a slice of her trip, and bought me this cookbook. I have since tried several recipes from this cookbook, and the dishes have always turned out well; this time is not the exception.
This poached pear doubles up perfectly as a lovely breakfast when served over a bowl of oatmeal porridge. That is the beauty of any form of poached or grilled fruits – it is so versatile. If you are craving for a dessert, serve it with ice cream, and if you want a sweet weekend breakfast, serve it with yoghurt or oatmeal!!
Happy July 4th to all my friends in US!
Vanilla-Scented Poached Pears
Serves 4
Adapted from The Candle Cafe Cookbook
Ingredients
4 medium pears, washed and peeled
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup cranberries (I used dried cranberries)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 cup apple juice (I used unsweetened apple juice)
2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
- Peel the pears and cut them in half from stem to base. Core the pears and leave the bottoms intact. Drizzle them with lemon juice.
- Fill each pear with an equal portion of cranberries and almonds. Sprinkle the pears with ground cinnamon.
- Place the pears – filled side up- in a saucepan; add the cinnamon sticks to the pan and pour the apple juice and vanilla extract around the pears.
- Simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender. Serve warm on its own, with ice cream, or over a bowl of oatmeal. Enjoy!
Cook’s Notes
These were great with dried cranberries, but I believe they would have been even better with fresh cranberries.
How do you kill time during a long-haul flight?
What is the first dessert that you think of?
8 comments:
Hey Kayla, your vanilla scent brought me to this post. Hahaha! Great recipe & all the best in your challenge :)
Oh, btw Amy Jiow replied your comment @ A Reader Who Bothers To Give Credit & Share. Have u read it?
Hi Kayla, I hope you are enjoying your time in the US and love it as much as we did. I am SO jealous that you get to spend 2 months there!
Your poached pears look fantastic. I love poached fruits for dessert. As much as I love chocolate, I love the contrast of fruit with chocolate because chocolate on it's own can be too rich.
As for what I do to kill time on a long haul flight, I read and watch movies and tv shows. I loaded up my iPad with good books and Desperate Housewives before we left and that kept me entertained part of the time, but honestly, flying is boring and I find it pretty much impossible to sleep.
omg those look amazing :) i def am going to try this recipe sometime! xo
Your poached pears look delicious. I usually do mine more simply, but I'll have to try your gorgeous topping one day.
I don't think I have ever poached pears - love the idea but worry I will overcook them - but you have made me need to eat a fresh pear
enjoy your time in america - sounds great but flying longhaul is tedious
welcome... so if you're here, are you going to check out Candle Cafe? if you like vegan food, it's pretty good. if you don't like vegan food, then it might seem a little weird.
Oh WOW! I am so excited for you :D And can't wait to live vicariously through your blog. Well done on surviving the flight too, those long distance ones are painful. Lucky you're there for 2 months rather than 2 weeks!
Ohh...that looks great! Do you have a specific type of pear that you use for this recipe? Does it matter? Wonder if Asian Pears would work, or only traditional Western ones, like Bartlett or Bosc
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