Minted Pears Food

PEARS BELLE HELENE

Steps:

• Peel, halve, and core the pears and sprinkle over them the lemon juice to stop them from discoloring. In a wide shallow pan (in which the pears will fit in 1 layer - otherwise cook them in batches) put 1 1/4 cups water, the sugar, and the vanilla bean, if using. Bring to a boil, stirring every now and again to make sure the sugar dissolves, then lower the heat slightly and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, if using. Put the pears into the liquid, cut side down, and raise the heat again so that the syrup boils up and the pears are covered by it. You may need to spoon the syrup over. After half a minute or so, lower the heat, then cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes; turn the pears, cover the pan again, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Continue poaching until the pears are cooked and translucent; they should feel tender (but not soggy) when pierced. They may need more or less cooking time - it depends on the pears. Take off the heat, keep covered, and leave to cool.
• Now the chocolate sauce: place the chocolate, broken up into small pieces, in a thick-bottomed pan with the coffee and sugar and melt over a low heat, stirring occasionally. Then pour in the cream, still stirring, and when it is very hot pour into a warmed sauceboat or a bowl with a ladle.
• To serve, arrange pears cut side down on a big flat plate and pour some syrup over. (Any remaining syrup will keep in the refrigerator or freezer and can be used to pour over apples or other fruit when making pies or crumbles. You can wash the vanilla pod, wipe it and put it in a canister of sugar.) Offer with ice cream, sauce, and pistachios, if using, served separately; allow diners to help themselves.

SMASHED MINTED PEAS

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat and sizzle the shallot for 5 mins until soft. Add the stock and peas, and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 10 mins until the peas are soft.
• Roughly mash the pea mixture with a potato masher, or, if you prefer a smoother texture, purée with a hand blender. (It's best to leave some of the peas whole or roughly crushed for texture.) Season to taste and stir through the mint leaves just before serving.

BROILED LAMB CHOPS WITH MINTED PEARS

Steps:

• Season lamb chops and place on a boiler pan.
• Arrange pear halves, cut side up in an ovenproof dish; or can arrange around the lamb on the broiler pan if desired.
• Mix butter (or margarine), lemon juice and mint in a small bowl.
• Brush mixture over the pear halves, reserving mixture.
• Broil chops until done, turning lamb midway through cooking. Check on pears and can baste with the mixture again. Turn pears if you like.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining lemon juice mixture and and serve with the broiled pears and lamb.
• If desired, fill pear halves with mint jelly.

MINTED PEARS

Steps:

• Peal pears and poach in water and lemon juice. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the liquid.
• Combine the liquid with sugar or honey and heat until sugar dissolves.
• Add mint and simmer 10 minutes. Pour hot liquid over pears. Cool.

PEARS IN MINT AND TEA

Steps:

• Pour 2 cups water into a stainless steel saucepan. With a vegetable peeler, peel the surface of the lemon, removing long strips of peel. Cut the lemon in half and press it to extract the juice. You should have 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Add the lemon peel and juice to the water with the sugar, and mix to combine.
• Peel the pears and cut them into quarters. Remove the cores and place the pear wedges in the saucepan. Add the ordinary tea bag and, if fresh mint is not available, the mint-flavored tea bag. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook gently for about 20 minutes, until the pear pieces are tender when pierced with the point of a knife or with a fork. Remove from the heat.
• Immediately add the dissolved cornstarch to the saucepan and stir it into the juices to thicken them slightly. Let the pears cool in the syrup.
• When ready to serve, remove the tea bag and discard. If using fresh mint, stir it gently into the syrup. Divide the pears among six plates, about 4 wedges per plate. Spoon some of the syrup over the pears and serve.

PEARS IN SYRUP AND MINT

Steps:

• Mix the corn syrup, lemon juice, and mint together in a bowl.
• Peel the pears and cut the flesh into 1-inch pieces. Add to the mixture, and refrigerate until cold.
• Serve the pears in wine glasses with some of the syrup and mint.

MINTED SUGAR SNAP PEAS

Steps:

• In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium high heat.
• Add sugar snap peas, green onions and water. Cook, shaking skillet occasionally for 3 to 5 minutes, until peas are bright green and tender-crisp and water evaporated.
• Add mint or serve without. Add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve at once.

MINTED PEAS

Steps:

• Sautee onions until tender.
• Combine all ingredients in microwave safe dish.
• Cover and microwave until peas are just hot, stirring as needed to cook evenly.
• Garnish with a twist of lemon and fresh mint leaves if desired.