Roasted Pears with Sweet Ricotta Cream

Last week, on the heels of my Fresh Direct over-order, I was itching for something sweet. Typically, fruit just doesn't cut it in my list of desirable desserts. Occasionally I'll dabble in some berry ridden whipped cream and that's how I got the idea for some brown sugar basted pears. Yup, you read that right. Sweet pears roasted and basted with a brown sugar sauce. And while whipped cream from a can is always a staple in my fridge (though my love for it has dwindled since I discovered homemade mint whipped cream), I wanted some sort of thick cream for these sweet delights but also something that was not completely terrible for me. So I turned to ricotta, a versatile and delicious Italian cheese that's used in everything from lasagna and mixed into spaghetti to sweetened and dolloped over fruit. Though this dish isn't exactly the pinnacle of health, it's lighter than my favorite cupcakes and fulfills any sweet tooth...oh and gives a healthy dose of fruit to boot.

Roasted Pears
*Adapted heavily from Bon Appetit, circa 2007
2 Anjou pears
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel pears, cut them in half lengthwise and remove the cores. In a mixing bowl, coat the pear halves with lemon juice and vanilla. In an ovenproof skillet (stainless steel, no rubber handles), heat the butter until melted. Add brown sugar and mix into the butter. Place the pears cut side down into the skillet, pouring remaining lemon juice mixture over the top. Cook in the skillet until the sugar dissolves and the mixture bubbles, spreading some of the mixture over the top of the pears. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the pears and soft, about 15 minutes. Top with sweet ricotta cream.

Sweet Ricotta Cream
1 C part-skim ricotta
2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a food processor or blender, combine the ricotta, honey and vanilla. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours so the cream can thicken. Serve over roasted pears.

So there you have it...a semi-healthy dessert that's quick and easy without sacrificing an ounce of sweet flavor. But what I want to know is, what is your thought on fruit as dessert? Do you have favorite way to sweeten the deal?

Grilled Zucchini Coins

One of my favorite things about spring is the abundance of gorgeous and delicious vegetables. Let's face it, most vegetables need some serious help to invigorate any sort of flavor and I just don't believe anyone who says that vegetables are naturally delicious, because quite honestly, there's a reason why eating them seems like a chore for most people.

I'm a huge fan of roasting, but now that windows are open and warm air is streaming in to our tiny apartment, limited oven use is a must. While roasting does tend to bring out the most wonderful flavors, grilling can have the same effect. Since we live in a tiny Jersey City apartment with no personal outdoor space to speak of (yet), I once again broke out the Foreman to whip up some zucchini coins that transformed the standard vegetables from eh to mmmm. The salt is a must to bring out the delectable flavors, just make sure that you don't overdo it on the grilling - nothing says ack more than squishy veggies. Instead, grill for a few minutes only, get some nice brown crispy marks and chow down.

Grilled Zucchini Coins
1 large zucchini
olive oil
kosher salt
pepper

Slice zucchini into thick coins and spread out on a plate. Drizzle with olive oil and generously sprinkle salt and a little bit of pepper on each side of the zucchini. Grill until tender, serve and enjoy!

I know I've made some easy dishes here on TAA, but it honestly doesn't get simpler than this. Oh, and did I mention that I picked up two zucchinis from Fresh Direct for a mere $1.49 total? You really can't beat that and the fact that it's a healthy side dish is just the icing on the cake. Ooooh, cake...

Sweet 'n Savory Pineapple Chicken with Couscous

While Shaun and I are typically 'eat out on the weekends' people aside from most breakfasts, this weekend, we decided to enjoy a light dinner at home on Saturday night before heading over to a friend's party later in the evening. Though I did place my first Fresh Direct order a few days ago, I'm all about using up just about every item of food in our pantry - but both of those points are stories for another time.

While cleaning out said pantry yesterday, I came across a giant can of pineapple (only God knows when I bought that thing). Combined with my new 4lb pack of chicken breasts (don't worry, I didn't use all of it), I knew I had the makings of a fun new dinner of the sweet 'n savory variety - my favorite kind. And the warm weekend weather was just begging for some grilling. Since we currently have no outdoor space whatsoever (again, more on that later), I was relegated to breaking out the Foreman Grill - certainly a fine way to grill it up, but fell a bit short of truly grilled deliciousness (and did I mention that it's a pain and a half to clean? Yeah, it is.) Take a closer look at how I got 'er done.

Sweet 'n Savory Pineapple Chicken with Couscous
1 large can chopped pineapple
1 lb. chicken breasts or tenderloins
6 tbsp light brown sugar, divided
3 tbsp dijon mustard, divided
3/4 C pineapple juice, divided (drained from can)

Prepare couscous on stove top according to the package. Let sit, covered, while you prepare the chicken. Drain the canned pineapple into a measuring cup and reserve pineapple chunks in separately bowl. In a mixing bowl, combine 1/4 C pineapple juice, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard and 2 tbsp light brown sugar. Whisk together until combined. Add chicken and marinate for at least 30 minutes. On a Forman Grill (or actual grill), grill the chicken, making sure to get some carmelized grill marks on the chicken pieces. Meanwhile, in another mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Add the mixture to a skillet, bring to a boil and then let simmer and reduce, adding the pineapple pieces to the sauce. Add the grilled chicken and toss to coat. Serve over prepared couscous.

Could it be any easier? The whole meal, save for the marinade, took about 20 minutes and you really can't beat that. So what do you think?