baked pear recipe

my fiancee is allergic to apples.
devastating news to someone in love with the apple tree and all things born from it.
that is, until we started experimenting with pears.
most recipes that call for apples can be substituted with pears with little difficulty, sometimes (as in the case of the baked apple recipe) with an even more fantastically delicious result.
this recipe is so quick, cheap, simple and versatile you can use it to make just one pear or twenty.
most of the stuff you'll need you probably already have in your cupboard.
plus, they only take about 10 minutes to make!
so...here we go:

baked pears

what you'll need:
*bowl for mixing ingredients
*baking pan (or oven safe bowl for just a pear or 2)
*quick outs (instant oatmeal)
*pear (try out different types, i've found i like mine a little less firm. they bake up all mushy and delectable)
*dried berries (i like currents best, but blueberries are super yummy, and raisins or cranberries always work)
*butter (softened)
*brown sugar
*maple syrup
*cinnamon

action time!:
preheat oven to about 300
while oven heats, cut top off of pear and core it. a grapefruit spoon works well, but a teaspoon or knife will work depending on the firmness of the pear.

in bowl, mix all the other ingredients in an amount coinciding to the size of your pear or pears you are making, and how you like your stuff. (i go easy on the berries. i also like my stuffing a little sweeter, so extra maple for me.)

mix until slightly moist and sticky, until it can easily hold together in a ball.

stuff that pear!
sprinkle a little extra brown sugar on top for a crunch coating of yum.

bake until the pears skin start to split a little. (or until the pear is soft, if you want it to look perfect...and want to be poking it every 5 minutes, which i think is dumb. plus, i get distracted and forget the pears until i smell that fantastic smell to remind me "oh, shit! you've got goodies in the oven!")
it should take about 7 minutes or so i'm guessing. but, honestly, i've never timed it. (see "distracted" above)

take em out of the oven, let them sit a minute (they will be nuclear. no matter how good they smell, don't ruin the experience by scalding off your taste buds and digging in too soon. trust me)

you're done.
i told you. easy.

pot pie recipe.

first real fall-feeling day.
rainy
windy
cool.

this is how we celebrate.


easy-peasy pot pie

what you'll need:

either a large dish or several smaller oven safe bowls, a microwave safe mixing bowl, and a saucepan and a whisk



ingredients:

*fresh veggies of your choice, chopped
(i use potato, peas, pumpkin or other winter squash, broccoli, onion, corn and green beans. or whatever else i have laying around)
*butter (or substitute)
*milk or plain soymilk
*sour cream (or imitation)
*salt
*pepper
*flour
*cumin
*sage
*olive oil
*cheese, if you feel like it
*frozen phyllo dough sheets.

first, thaw your phyllo dough if it's frozen. just microwave it for a minute or so..

then preheat the oven to about 400

then steam your veggies in the microwave.

while the veggies are steaming, melt the butter in the saucepan. i usually use a few tablespoons but it really depends on how much you're making.(i never measure anything, so you'll just have to use your brain and judge for yourself. i have faith in you.)

add enough flower to make a bit of a paste
then add the milk (a cup or so, i guess)
then the sour cream.
it should already be all saucy, if it's not thick enough, add more flour or sour cream. or cheese. which is good. like aged sharp cheddar. yum.( i'm not vegan anymore so i can say that)

season the sauce to taste.

you should have about 2/3 as much sauce as you do veggies. i like mine saucy so i make a bit more.

dump your veggies in whatever receptacle you'll be baking them in, and cover them with the sauce

cover the veggies with the phyllo dough as the package directs. if you're using smaller bowls, just fold the sheets in half, making& sure you brush a little oil between the folds. the more sheets you use the happier you'll be. just pile em on, and don't worry about being too dainty.

bake em until they get all bubbly and the dough gets toasty brown!

let em cool for AT LEAST 5 minutes or you'll burn your face off. seriously.

eat the hell out of em!