Sunday, March 4, 2012

Curried Fruit

Curried Fruit
From: gardentraveler

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

1 can (29 oz) peach slices

1 can (20 oz) chunk pineapple  
1 can (20 oz) pear slices
1/4 c. dried cranberries

1/4 cup butter
1/4 c. sugar (you can substitute brown sugar and skip the molasses, but I like the added flavor)
1 t. molasses
1/2 t. curry powder - more or less to taste  (I used 3/4 t. Penzey's Maharajah curry powder)

1/8 c. flaked coconut and 1/4 c. sliced almonds for garnish.

Drain fruit. Cut peach and pear slices in half, if desired. (The original recipe calls for peach and pear halves, so size doesn't really matter in this case.)

Combine fruit in a 1 1/2 or 2 qt. baking dish.

Melt butter (I cut it into pieces and melt it on low in the microwave). Combine with sugar and curry powder.  Microwave a bit more to make sure it's well combined.

Pour butter mixture over fruit and combine well.

Bake 30-40 minutes, until liquid is a bit bubbly.  This is best served the next day.

Top with a bit of flaked coconut and toasted almonds just before serving. (Toast almonds in dry frying pan over low heat.  Stir constantly and watch closely so that they don't burn.)


Wifey's Pear Salad

Wifey's Pear Salad
From: Bumbazine

Gather together your usual salad greens.
throw in a big handful of dried cranberries.
throw in a handful of chopped nuts. Pecans or walnuts are good, but we've been using hazelnuts 'cause they grow 'em around here.
Toss in some bits of goat's cheese. It can be gooey and hard to 'crumble', but break it up as best you can.
Quarter a nice, ripe pear, Bartlett or D'anjou would be good, then slice thinly into the salad. You can peel it first or not. We don't.
Dress with a nice sweet dressing. We like Raspberry Walnut Vinigarette best for this, or Ken's Steak House Vidalia Onion.

That's it. Best salad ever.

Fat Club Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya

Fat Club Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya
From: VunderBob

Ingredients

1 Tbsp regular butter
1 large uncooked onion, chopped 1 medium green pepper, seeded and chopped
3 ribs raw celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb uncooked turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
28 oz crushed tomatoes
14 1/2 oz (1 can) fat-free chicken broth, reduced-sodium
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 pound cleaned and cooked shrimp, medium

Instructions

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 7–8 minutes. Add the kielbasa and cook, stirring, 3 minutes longer.

Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes with liquid, the broth, thyme, and cayenne; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender, about 30 minutes. Stir frequently.

Add the shrimp to the mixture and cook until just opaque in the center and all the liquid has been absorbed, 5–7 minutes longer. Yields 1 1/3 cups per serving.


Notes

Small chunks of skinless boneless chicken breast can easily be substituted for the shrimp and/or the kielbasa, or you can use crawfish instead of shrimp, and a cup of thawed frozen peas can be added with the shrimp.

Keep a close watch while simmering. The jambalaya sticks to the bottom very quickly and easily.

For those playing along with Fat Club, a 1-1/3 cup portion is 9 points.