Wine-Poached Pears with Yogurt Sauce
I thought I had posted this already but it looks like I did not. This is adapted from a Jacques Pepin recipe via Chowhound (I think).
Serves 4-6 depending on how big your pears are and how much room you have left for dessert.
4 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and sliced into eighths
1 bottle fruity red wine (it really needs to be fruity. I used Apothic Red which runs about $12)
~1/4 to 1/2 C honey depending on how sweet your wine is
1 cinnamon stick
pinch of ground cloves, if desired
1.5 C plain Greek yogurt (I prefer Fage but Chobani is fine)
splash of vanilla or even better, vanilla bean paste
1/2 t cinnamon
2-3 T grade B maple syrup but grade A is fine too
In a deep saucepan, pour wine, honey and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for about 8 minutes. Add pears and stir occasionally to make sure all the pear slices are poaching properly. Pears are done when a knife slides easily into the flesh. Strain out pears and return liquid to the stove top. Simmer until liquid reduces and becomes a bit syrup-y. Return pears to liquid if planning to serve shortly. If not, keep separate.
For yogurt sauce, whisk together ingredients and return to fridge until time to serve. When time to serve, re-warm pears and wine reduction if need be until warm but not necessarily hot. Serve pear slices topped with yogurt sauce. Try not to lick the bowl in front of company. This is a GREAT dessert to make ahead and have waiting to serve when you have company. It's the perfect finish to a dinner with beef as the main course as it is light and yet substantial.
Serves 4-6 depending on how big your pears are and how much room you have left for dessert.
4 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and sliced into eighths
1 bottle fruity red wine (it really needs to be fruity. I used Apothic Red which runs about $12)
~1/4 to 1/2 C honey depending on how sweet your wine is
1 cinnamon stick
pinch of ground cloves, if desired
1.5 C plain Greek yogurt (I prefer Fage but Chobani is fine)
splash of vanilla or even better, vanilla bean paste
1/2 t cinnamon
2-3 T grade B maple syrup but grade A is fine too
In a deep saucepan, pour wine, honey and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for about 8 minutes. Add pears and stir occasionally to make sure all the pear slices are poaching properly. Pears are done when a knife slides easily into the flesh. Strain out pears and return liquid to the stove top. Simmer until liquid reduces and becomes a bit syrup-y. Return pears to liquid if planning to serve shortly. If not, keep separate.
For yogurt sauce, whisk together ingredients and return to fridge until time to serve. When time to serve, re-warm pears and wine reduction if need be until warm but not necessarily hot. Serve pear slices topped with yogurt sauce. Try not to lick the bowl in front of company. This is a GREAT dessert to make ahead and have waiting to serve when you have company. It's the perfect finish to a dinner with beef as the main course as it is light and yet substantial.
Comments
I am going to have "I prefer Fage but Chobani is fine" written on my tombstone. I remember Hefk once saying she thought Chobani (wait, was it Chobani? I think?) tasted like paste...
I'll put whatever you want on your tombstone (stop talking about your tombstone! no kinnah hurrahs!), but I will also hereby provide confirmation of my personal position on Chobani:
Chobani = paste = not fine.
Admittedly, I have not eaten it in over a year. I should probably make sure I still stand by this, otherwise I risk sounding like a timid toddler.
And no, I have never tried making my own cheese....sounds good, though!
I avoid little cups too. We go through about a big container of plain a week especially in fresh fruit season. I save the big containers for freezing soup and other stuff, as well as art projects and water, sand and mushy mudhole fun, etc.
yogurt and mud! yay!