Cinnamon Poached Pear Cakes

Sunday and I have a love affair going. It's no secret. I long for the day in the week when errands have been crossed off, work has been set aside for another day and I can just get lost in my kitchen. Sunday dinners are my favourite meal of the week because I have time to throw my love into it. My heart steers my actions, my actions follow along. And this Sunday was the same as those before it. One step blindly following the other with familiarity as it's guide.

I heard the alarm clock go off and as quickly and gently as possible reached over to quiet the morning noise. I knew my wife had a wedding shower to attend and we had limited face time with each other, so I soaked up the morning and hoped it would bleed into the afternoon. Wishful, maybe. I love the serenity of Sunday mornings and the only sound I want to hear are the birds chirping in the forest out back and my wife softly breathing beside me.
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Blackberry & Pear Crumbles

I have a sweet tooth. Or three. I love being home on a cold afternoon and making something hot and sweet to satisfy my cravings for both. The idea that a simple recipe with minimal ingredients could transform into something outrageously tasty, decadent and warm is even more tantalizing. How could I resist? How could you?

This is one of those simple desserts that requires very little effort and absolutely no baking experience. Sound tempting yet? Just wait. The prep work takes about 10 minutes, which is the perfect amount of time for your oven to preheat. After the prep it's a simple trip to the oven and the transformation is nearly complete. Have some patience, it'll be worth it.

In this recipe I prefer sweating the pears with sugar until both bubbly and soft. The resulting taste is only enhanced with the tartness of the blackberries. Once slightly caramelized and soft I spoon the fruit into the base of my cooking pot. The fruit lay beneath a blanket of flour, butter and brown sugar with some tasty, crunchy pistachio nuts mixed in.

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Puréed Squash and Pear Soup

I always passed on salad in favour of soup growing up. Always. When there was an option, mine was clear. And when the months on the calendar changed to autumn or winter, my decisions were more steadfast than ever. My parents could order for me with reckless abandon knowing that I'd be happy with any bowl of soup showing up at my table. Wait, not that fast. I had my limitations.

While there were a few soups that I turned my nose up (after all, I had the palette of a sixth-grader) most were perfectly welcome on my table. There was something especially comforting about the aroma and flavours packed in each round serving vessel. Something that always felt like home, no matter where I was.

As time has passed and the months on the calendar have given way to years, my love of soul-warming, mouth-watering soup has only flourished. I love experimenting with flavours and spices and seasonal goodies. It doesn't always turn out the way I want but when it does, I'm rewarded over and over again.

This is a play on one of my favourite cold-weather soups. It's easy to make, ridiculously tasty and it's popular with my family. The pear is tart and refreshing and balances the sweetness of the squash perfectly. There is a deeply satisfying warmth that carries you through the day.

I love roasting the vegetables with a liberal amount of seasoning and butter. Once roasted, the soft, almost mushy vegetables are the perfect shape for a trip through the blender. With a bit of help from the stock, the puree is liquefied and ready for the stockpot. 

Once inside the hot confines of the pot, I allow the heat to delicately reach every ounce of the soup. I can play with the thickness that suits my palate on this day and adjust as necessary. A quick pass through a sieve and I'm ready for the table

I love this soup as is or I'll serve it with a dollop of sour cream and some toasted squash seeds and chives. I also love to escape to a corner of my home with a good book and a moment of solitude and relax and enjoy the moment.

From my kitchen to yours, happy eating!

All set up and ready to go!

Pureed Squash and Pear Soup

The Goods:

• 1 cup diced butternut squash
• 1 cup diced Bartlett pear
• 1 cup chopped white onions
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 celery, chopped
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. all-spice
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup sour cream, garnish
• 3 tbsp. toasted squash seeds, garnish
• 1 bunch fresh chives, chopped, garnish

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place the squash, pear, onions, celery and garlic on a baking sheet and season with coarse sea salt and pepper and spread bits of butter throughout. Bake for 30 minutes.
3. Move to a blender and puree until completely liquid, adding as much of the stock as necessary.
4. In a stockpot,combine the puree with the rest of the stock and heat. Find the correct thickness and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.
5. Pass through a fine sieve and set aside.
6. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and chopped chives. Place the toasted seeds on top.

It's showtime! 

**This post made Foodbuzz Top 9! 

Baby Spinach with Pears, Spiced Pecans, Goat Cheese and Smoked Bacon

I have never been a big fan of the traditional green salad. Ask my wife. She's always telling me to "Eat your greens." I don't blame her for trying but maybe my refusal lies somewhere back in the day when salads were just uninspired and bland. Salads laden with unimaginative bottled dressing. Nobody is at fault but that's just the way things were back then.

Luckily, things have changed over time. As the seasons shifted from warm and sunny to cold and damp my salad preferences shift with them. The cool refreshing summer salads have been replaced by warm salads with texture. Hot bits of flavour with dressings that ooze great taste. Early winter salads that don't compromise. Now that's my type of salad.

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Roast Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Figs

I have a secret love for pork and it's various forms. The different cuts of meat which produce the intense aromas and taste that we know of as bacon, pancetta, prosciutto, chops, ham and ribs. These beautiful flavours that we know so well whether it be roasted, cured or smoked. It's conjures up memories of my youth and the moments that helped define my future with food. Here piggy, piggy.

Pork tenderloin is lean, inexpensive and packs a punch worth of flavour when paired and topped with the right dance partners. Pork and apples, right? Not this time. It's pork and pears, specifically the Bartlett variety. In this recipe I find the sweetness of the fig balsamic and roasted pears to be the perfect foil for the pork. It's so easy and yet so delicious and it fits the bill in my house when I'm looking for a quick, prep-easy dinner that let's me romance the plate. And my wife.

For a weekday dinner when you're short on both time and patience, try this one. The pears and onions are both tender and crispy and the texture is perfect with the pork. A few simple ingredients and the result is pork so juicy and tender and loaded with flavour that it'll look and feel like a weekend dinner meant to wow your guests.

On this night I served it with Mashed Potatoes with Bacon and Green Onions.

Roast Pork with Figs and Pears

Yields: 4

The Goods:
1 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed
2 Bartlett pears, cored and cut into equal-sized wedges
1 red onion, cut into 16 wedges
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. thyme, chopped (plus thyme for garnish)
4 tbsp. Fig Balsamic dressing

Prep:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Rub mustard all over pork and season. Place in a 13"x9" baking pan previously sprayed with cooking spray. Surround pork with pears, onions and garlic. Sprinkle thyme over top.
3. Bake for 30 minutes, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees. Drizzle with fig balsamic the last 10 minutes.
4. Transfer meat to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let stand 5-10 minutes for the juices to redistribute. Slice and serve with roasted pears and onions.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Fig

Mashed Potatoes with Green Onions and Bacon