Sweet Potatoes N Pears Recipes

ROASTED PEARS AND SWEET POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub potatoes. Quarter lengthwise; slice diagonally 1 1/2 inches thick. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss slices with olive oil, dry mustard, ground ginger, and cayenne; season with coarse salt. Roast, tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Core and quarter 2 Bartlett pears; halve crosswise. Add to the potatoes; toss all with another tablespoon oil. Continue roasting until potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes more.

MASHED SWEET POTATOES AND PEARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2 - inch glass baking dish. Pierce potatoes in several places with fork. Place on baking sheet; bake until very tender when pierced with knife, about 1 hour. Remove from oven. Reduce temperature to 350°F.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pears; sautée until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add 3/4 cup nectar; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until pears are very tender, adding more nectar if mixture sticks to skillet and stirring often, about 4 minutes. Transfer to processor and puree.
• Peel sweet potatoes; place in large bowl of electric mixer. Add 4 tablespoons butter; beat until smooth. Mix in pear puree, sugar, cinnamon and cardamom. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to prepared dish (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Bake potatoes uncovered until just heated through, about 20 minutes.

PORK STEW WITH PEARS AND SWEET POTATOES

Steps:

• If using bone-in ribs, cut away the bones and set aside. Cut pork into 1-inch cubes, sprinkle the ribs evenly with the salt and allow to stand, refrigerated, for at least 1 hour and no more than 12 hours. Move oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
• Dry pork cubes well and sprinkle generously with pepper. Heat oil over medium-high heat in Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot until shimmering. Working in batches to avoid crowding, brown the pork well (including bones if you have them), transferring to a platter as browned, adding more oil in between batches if needed.
• Add the onions and fennel to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are transparent, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve any fond on the bottom of the pot. Add the pork (and bones if you have them), sweet potatoes, caraway seeds, allspice, bay leaves and enough chicken stock to just cover the meat. Bring to a simmer, cover and place in oven for 1 hour. Add the pears to the pot, then continue to cook until meat is very tender, about 30 to 45 minutes more.
• Remove bones from pot, stir in lemon juice, then serve stew in bowls, passing mustard separately so people can put a dollop on their stew if desired.

SWEET POTATOES & PEARS WITH BOURBON GLAZE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Butter a 13x9x2" glass baking dish.
• Stir butter, cane syrup, pear nectar, vanilla, Bourbon and orange juice in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until the butter melts. Increase heat and boil until the mixture is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat, then whisk in the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
• Arrange 1/3 of the sweet potato slices in baking dish. Top with half of the pear slices, then 1/3 of the sweet potato slices. Arrange the remaining slices of sweet potato and pear on top, alternating sweet potato and pear slices, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle lightly with salt, then pour the cane syrup mixture over. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake until the sweet potatoes are nearly tender, about an hour. Uncover and bake until sweet potatoes are completely tender, check with a toothpick or knife point to make sure the sweet potatoes are completely tender.
• Recipe can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover with foil and refrigerate. Reheat covered in a 350°F oven for about 30 minutes; spoon the syrup over the sweet potatoes and pears and serve hot.

MASHED SWEET POTATOES AND PEARS

Steps:

• Place the pears, wine, and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat to medium-low and simmer until pears are soft, about 5-10 minutes. Remove pears from wine and reserve.
• Place the sweet potatoes into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and allow to potatoes to steam dry for a minute or two.
• Stir the reserved pears, evaporated milk, vanilla, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the sweet potatoes and mash until smooth. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.

BAKED SPICED SWEET POTATOES AND PEARS (CREOLE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F & butter a 13"x9" glass baking dish.
• In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stir butter, cane syrup, pear nectar, vanilla, Bourbon & OJ until butter melts.
• Increase heat & boil until mixture is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes, then remove from heat & whisk in the cinnamon, nutmeg & salt.
• Arrange1/3 of the potato slices in the prepared baking dish, then top with half of the pear slices, & then with another 1/3 of the potato slices. Finally, arrange the remaining slices of potato & pear on top & on their edge, alternating potato & pear, & overlapping slightly.
• Sprinkle lightly with salt, then pour the cane syrup mixture over everything.
• Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil & bake until sweet potatoes are nearly tender, about 1 hour.
• Uncover & bake until completely tender, basting occasionally with the syrup, for about 20-30 minutes longer, checking with a toothpick or knife point to make sure the potatoes are completely tender.
• Spoon the syrup over the sweet potatoes & pears one last time & serve hot.