Poached Pears with Saffron in Rhubarb Sauce

This elegant and simple dessert is from Hassan M'souli's Morrocan Modern,a neat collection of authentic Moroccan food with a modern twist.Of all the delectable Moroccan desserts featured in the book,this fruity dessert caught my eye for its fascinating flavors with luscious rhubarb sauce and fragrant saffron and Orange blossom.

Rhubarb

These pretty red stalks of rhubarb with earthy sour flavor and inedible(Toxic!) leaves are the fresh pick of late spring season.Originating from China ,its dried roots are used as remedy for many illness in traditional Chinese medicine.In America Rhubarb's got the nickname as "pie plant" for its a popular filling along with strawberries in pies.
Rhubarb is packed with Vitamins K & C, Calcium, Potassium, Manganese and is a good source of fiber.Read more about its health benefits.
A simple syrup\sauce with rhubarb was perfect get started,do explore loads of other rhubarb recipes here.The tart sweet sauce paired deliciously with lightly sweet pears infused with fragrant saffron and orange blossom.The sauce also goes well over yogurt and custard with sprinkle of nuts.


Recipe : Poached Pears with Saffron in Rhubarb Sauce
Ingredients
4 pears,peeled and cored,with stalks on
1/2 a lemon,juiced
3 cups water
1 tablespoon Orange blossom or rose water
pinch of saffron threads
1 cinnamon stick
1 bunch rhubarb(3 stalks),leaves removed and sliced
2 tablespoon raisins
1/4 cup chopped nuts

Method
Place pears in a bowl and squeeze on lemon juice to prevent them from going brown.
combine water and orange blossom water in a large saucepan,add the cinnamon stick.Bring to a boil,reduce the heat,add saffron and place the pears in ti the simmering liquid.Cover and continue to cook for another 30 minutes ,or until the pears are almost cooked.Remove the pears from the saucepan,place in to a bowl and pour over 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.Allow to sit for an hour or refrigerate overnight for flavors to intensify.
Heat the remaining cooking liquid over low heat,add the rhubarb stalks and cook for 10 minutes.Take out the cinnamon stick and blend the sauce .
To serve,place sauce in to shallow bowl or plate and set pears in the middle.Sprinkle raisins and nut over the sauce.Garnish with mint


This is my entry for Weekend herb blogging,the lovely hostess this week is Cinzia of Cindystar.

Fruit Chaat

Preparation
Just chop up your favorite fruits and depending on the quantity of fruits ,mix in the Chaat Masala(blend of spices - coriander seeds, cumin seeds ,ajwain (thymol),dried red chilies ,black salt ,mango powder (amchoor), salt , garam masala, white pepper ). Chaat masala can easily be spotted in an Asian or even Middle-eastern stores.

Poached Pears With Ginger Dates Sauce

Ginger is one of the few spices which is used both in savory and sweets dishes.Poached pears are so simple to prepare ,along with the ginger dates sauce the flavor is intensely delicious .It can be served at any elegant dinner party.


Ingredients needed
1 cup water
1 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoon Date syrup or Maple syrup or Honey
2 Green or Bosc pears, cut core away as you work
2 small scoop low sugar vanilla ice cream
Mint and Blueberries for garnish

Method
Poach the pears
Peel pears. Core pears from bottom, leaving stems attached. Slice the bottom so that pears can be placed upright.

In a saucepan, bring the water, ginger and sugar to a boil. Set the pears upright, and reduce the heat .Simmer the pears until very soft when pierced with a knife (but not falling apart), about 30 minutes.
Remove pears from saucepan place upright in serving dish or individual dessert dishes.
Prepare the Sauce
Remove the ginger piece from the juices in the saucepan.Mix date syrup or Honey or Maple Syrup stir into juices in the saucepan. Cover and cook on high heat setting about 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened.

Spoon sauce over pears.Add scoops of ice cream to the pears and garnish with mint and some fresh blueberries over each serving.

Learn more about Fabulous Ginger Spice here in my post.
This is my entry for Sunita's Think Spice...Think Favorite