Roasted Pear Salad with Chèvre and Fig Vinaigrette

I made this salad three times already. It is really good.


4 Bosc, Comice, Concorde or Bartlett pears, halved and cored
8 tsp, plus 2 Tbs fig jam, divided
5 oz soft goat cheese, cut into 8 slices
1 Tbs olive oil, plus more for drizzling, divided
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
4 cups watercress or baby arugula
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Place pear halves cut-side up in 2 large baking dishes.

2. Spoon 1 tsp jam in center of each pear half. Top with goat cheese rounds, and lightly drizzle with oil. Bake pears 30 minutes, or until cheese begins to brown.

3. Whisk together remaining 2 Tbs fig jam, lemon juice and mustard in bowl. Whisk in 1 Tbs olive oil.

4. Divide watercress among 8 serving plates. Sprinkle with onion and nuts. Top each with pear half, and drizzle with dressing.

Source:
VT, Oct. 10

Maple-Date Bars

I made these delicious bars when my parents came to visit, in Nov. 2009, in Comox BC. These are a repeaters.


1 3/4 cups finely chopped pitted dates (about 12 ounces)
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
1 cup regular oats
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray

Combine dates, water, and maple syrup in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; cook 12 minutes or until most liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently. (Mixture will look like jam.) Stir in rind; cool completely.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Beat sugar and butter with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture (mixture will be crumbly). Press 2 cups flour mixture into bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Spread date mixture over flour mixture. Sprinkle with remaining flour mixture. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.



CALORIES 162 (28% from fat); FAT 5g (sat 2.3g,mono 2g,poly 0.3g); IRON 0.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 12mg; CALCIUM 14mg; CARBOHYDRATE 29.5g; SODIUM 78mg; PROTEIN 1.6g; FIBER 1.8g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2005

Apple Spice Cake

CAKE:
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
3 to 4 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (3 cups)
1 cup chopped assorted nuts, such as pecans and walnuts (optional)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Nonstick cooking spray with flour

CARAMEL SAUCE:
Make your favorite caramel sauce

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray; set aside.

Working over a large sheet of parchment paper, sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; gather sifted ingredients into center of sheet; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine vegetable oil, sugar, and eggs; mix on high speed until lemon yellow.

Fold reserved parchment in half lengthwise; with mixer on medium speed, gradually shake in dry ingredients until just incorporated.

Add apples and, if desired, nuts, to batter; mix to combine. Add vanilla, mixing until incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 75 to 90 minutes.

Remove from oven, and cool slightly on a wire rack.

Invert cake onto rack; turn cake right-side up to cool completely on rack, and serve drizzled with caramel sauce.

Source:
Apple Spice Cake, Martha Stewart
First published May 2006