Janelle Bloom's Pear Recipes

 

 

Olive oil pear & raspberry cake
Serves 10
4x60g free-range eggs, at room temperature
2 cups caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup extra-light olive oil
1 cup pear juice
3 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 pears, peeled, quartered, core removed, thinly sliced
2/3 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1 tbs icing sugar
 1 Preheat oven to 170°C no fan. Grease and line the base and sides of a 4cm deep, 20cmx29cm slab pan with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang at both long ends.
2 Using an electric mixer, beat eggs, caster sugar and vanilla in a large bowl on high speed for 3 minutes or until pale and thick. Stir in oil and pear juice.
3 Sift the flour and baking powder together over the egg mixture. Fold gently until combined. Pour two-thirds of cake batter into the cake pan. Top with half the pears and half the raspberries. Pour over remaining cake batter. Top with remaining pear and raspberries. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
4 Stand in the cake pan for 10 minutes, use the baking paper to carefully lift out onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar just before serving.
 
Recipe from Janelle Bloom new cookbook Fast Fresh & Fabulous published November 2009
www.janellebloom.com.au
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Spicy pear chutney

Makes about 2 cups
 
1 small red onion, peeled, quartered
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 red banana chilli, halved, seeds removed
2 red birdseye chillies, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cinnamon sticks, halved lengthways
1/4 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1kg pears, peeled, core removed, chopped
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 lime, juiced
2 cups white sugar
 
1 Combine onion, garlic, banana chilli and red chillies in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.

2 Heat oil in a large, deep, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add onion mixture and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the cinnamon sticks and salt.

3 Add pears, vinegar, 2 tablespoons lime juice and sugar and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally until sugar has dissolved.

4 Boil gently for 20 minutes until chutney is thick and pulpy. Spoon hot chutney into hot sterilized jars. Seal. Turn upside down for 2 minutes. Turn upright. Allow to cool.
 
Chutney is great on sandwiches, stirred into casseroles or served on a cheese plate with dried fruit and crackers
 
Recipe by Janelle Bloom; www.janellebloom.com.au
 
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Pear, cabbage & walnut salad with char-grilled prawns

Serves 4
 
1/2 cup walnuts
1 tablespoons icing sugar
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 small red cabbage, shredded
1/2 small savoy cabbage, shredded
150g snow peas, shredded
4 green onions, thinly sliced
3 pears, halved, cored, thinly sliced
1/4 cup small mint leaves
dressing
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons pear juice
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grated palm sugar or brown sugar
 
1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Spread the walnuts on a baking tray. Sprinkle with a little water. Sift the icing sugar, cinnamon and cayenne over the nuts and toss to coat. Bake for 5-8 minutes or until toasted. Set aside to cool.

2 Combine cabbage, snow peas, green onions, pears and mint in a large bowl. Toss gently to combine.

3 For the dressing, combine all the ingredients and salt and freshly ground black pepper in a screw-top jar and shake until well combined.

4 Pour the dressing over the salad, toss gently, add walnuts and serve with char-grilled prawn skewers.
 
Recipe by Janelle Bloom; www.janellebloom.com.au