New Year’s Day Bagels

(Our first 2010 post is actually brought to you by guest author Marcy!)

What’s one of the best things to eat after a hangover? Toasted bagels.

Over a decade ago, my husband and I started making these bagels together for New Year’s day brunch. Not only were they great at helping my husband’s stomach settle down from all the New Year’s drinking, but also was a great opportunity to make one of my favorite recipes that I never have time for.

You’ll need to set aside about 2 hours to make these. The payoff is great: deliciously warm, moist, and fresh bagels, right out of your own oven. This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. The bagels freeze really well. To store them, place in freezer storage freezer bags. They’ll make for a quick and inexpensive meal on another day.

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 Cups Flour
• 1 envelope (1/4 oz.) Active Dry Yeast (Fleischmann’s)
• 3 Tb. Sugar + a few teaspoons for yeast mixture
• 2 tsp. Salt
• 1 1/2 C. Warm Water (about 100 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Toppings: Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or crushed garlic

You'll need a 5-6 Qt. size pot filled with water for boiling.

Makes about 6-8 medium sized bagels.

Preparation:

Mix the yeast and warm water (not too warm or it ruins the yeast) and a few teaspoons of sugar. Let it sit for about 20 minutes.

In a separate large bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt. Add the yeast mixture and knead. The dough will be tough and a bit sticky. I add an additional few tablespoons of flour towards the end of the kneading. Knead for about 5 minutes. Cover with a towel and let rise for a 1/2 hour.

In the 5-6 quart pot, boil the water while you shape the bagels. To shape the bagels, divide the dough into 6-8 equal pieces. By hand, roll into an 8 inch long snake-shape. Form the bagels by pinching the ends of the snake-shaped dough together. Let rise for 15 minutes.

Boil each bagel for 30 seconds on each side. Use a spatula to remove the bagels from the water. Use caution as they are slippery. Transfer to a baking sheet and sprinkle your favorite topping (sesame seeds, poppy seeds, crushed garlic, etc). Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20-25 minutes.

Winter Pear Compote

(Ed. Note: Please welcome guest poster Marcy, who'll be dropping madtastiness on us all from time to time.)

Do you know how many types of pears there are? You may be surprised to know that there are actually close to 5,000 pear varieties throughout the world. However, in the U.S., the Bartlett pair accounts for 70% of the pear market. The Bartlett, or green pair, is one of six pears that you may have seen in your local market. The other five common pears in the U.S. include: Anjou, Asian, Bosc, Comice, Red Bartlett and Seckel.

One of my favorite winter desserts is pear compote. Making pear compote is simple, with little prep time. It is also inexpensive and healthy. Any type of pears will work well with this recipe. My personal favorite is Bosc pears, as they cook well even if they aren’t ripe.

There are many ways to eat compote. Eat it cold, hot, on top of ice-cream, with whipping cream, or in yogurt. Make a batch of pear compote and keep in the fridge all week. You’ll have an instant, healthy snack rich in Vitamin C and fiber – both of which will help to keep you healthy and regular!

Ingredients:

• 8 Pears (any pears, or a combination of pears)
• ¼ of one lemon
• ¼ C. raisins
• ¼ C. sugar
• 2 Cinnamon sticks
• Water to cover all ingredients

Peel, core and chop the pears into quarters. (FYI- Avoid placing the core and stem in your garbage disposal as it could cause the disposal to clog. This has happened to me on several occasions). Don’t dice the pears as they will fall apart and turn into pear sauce instead of pear compote.

Put all of the ingredients in a 6 qt. pot and cover with water. Simmer and then cook it covered, over a small to medium flame (be careful not to over simmer, as the water could overflow and cause a big mess on your stove top). Cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let it cool down a bit, then serve as you please.

Yields 6 servings.


(this picture is from whole foods, but it should look similar!)