Baklava Stuffed Pears

When my dad hosted parties, he had a rule that no one else was allowed in the kitchen. Someone would try and he was tisk them: Uh-uh! and shoo them away. Dinner was his work of art; doing it all was his version of hospitality. No one would chop a vegetable other than he and occasionally, his assistant— me. 

Every night was a different theme: sushi, Ethiopian, Mexican. Middle Eastern night fell short of none. Layers of phyllo dough were painted with butter, and toasted nuts were piled in-between, and small squares of baklava were drizzled with citrus infused honey. 

To me, new roots, are a redefinition of your childhood traditions, in a new light. These baklava stuffed pears are exactly that. Reminiscent of those baklava squares, baked into a fresh new vehicle. Lighter, fruitier... a fusion of new and old. 

The mix of pears with spices, honey, and nuts taste like an quintessential fall dish, one that you can dress up or down depending on what you’re craving: plain, with yogurt or oatmeal, or alongside a scoop of ice cream drizzled with chocolate. 

Baklava Stuffed Pears

Paleo, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

Baklava gets a twist when baked right into ripe pears!

Serves: 10   |    Total Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 5 pears
• 1/2 cup nuts (mix of walnuts, pistachios and hazelnuts)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/16 teaspoon cloves
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 2 tablespoons honey

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Wash the pears, and half each one. Use a pairing knife to remove the seeds & pithy centers. Place the pears flesh-side-up in a baking dish.
2. In a food processor, pulse the nuts, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and cloves until nuts are roughly chopped. Use a spoon to scoop the nut mixture into the cavity of the pears, creating mounds of nuts on each one.
3. Then, heat the lemon juice, butter, and honey in a small sauce pan until they simmer. Remove from heat. Use a brush to spread the butter mixture over each pear.
4. Place pan in oven and bake until pears are cooked through, about 25 minutes. Serve warm or cold, plain, with ice cream, or over yogurt or oatmeal.

Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix Recipe

Utah captured my heart this Spring. Spring in Utah is a funny thing-- not really spring, March in the desert is more like half winter and half summer.  

When the morning wakes you, you’ll find your sleeping bag pulled as high around your head as it can go, covering your cheeks and leaving just enough space so to breath. Eventually, motivated by the thought of coffee, or tea, or anything warm, you'll peek out, and see the snow, still coming down in oversized flakes that fall impossibly slow. Lighting that two-burner camping stove will never sound so good.  

Outside, there is a different view in every direction, but all of them will make you feel small — just a tiny human, standing on a slice of something far too large to imagine. Cliffs, a deep crimson color, tower above. They sit gallantly on piles of sand, like the earth's version of sandcastles, displaying layer on layer of dirt. Each layer seems to expose something about the world, every band of sand marking an era of the past. At their feet grow short and twisted juniper trees, struggling to grow.  

When the water boils, and you pull it from the stove, the pot will spout a tower of steam into the air above, melting the snow as it falls. When you turn around, you’ll see a mountain range all Coloradans know well, crisp and white, capped with ice. They look bigger from Utah, surrounded by flat plains, deep rifts, and the occasional rock spire. You’ll know what I mean when you see it for yourself: it’s as if those mountains scrape the clouds off of the sky, catching them on their peaks and hanging on.  

The snow will eventually stop (it’s spring, after all), and the unshielded sun will melt every white patch away. The desert sand will suck up any moisture that remains, and by 10 the ground will be dry again, as if nothing happened. That's when you’ll sit back in a folding chair, a rich mug of homemade hot chocolate in hand.  

There is nothing to feel other than awe. Belittled by the jagged, barren canyons and cliffs on one side, humbled by the majestic peaks to the other. Small-- small and awestruck. 

Here is a beverage to drink on those chilly mornings at camp, or around the campfire in the evening — Double chocolate Hot Cocoa. It’s made with bittersweet chocolate and cocoa powder (that’s the “double” part). Dehydrated milk adds creaminess, so even when you’re out exploring you don’t have to remember the milk! Though, if you are are really prepared, top your mug with a dollop of whipped  cream or marshmallows, and consider a splash of whiskey. Sitting around the campfire has never been so sweet!

Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix Recipe

Published March 27, 2016 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 8   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

1-3 tablespoons coconut sugar (depending on how sweet you would like your cocoa — 1 for not very sweet, 3 for more sweet)

Pinch salt

1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup dehydrated non-fat milk powder

To make cocoa: 8 ounces of water; and whipped cream or marshmallows for serving

Directions:

1. Place coconut sugar, salt, and chocolate in blender or food processor and pulse until a fine powder is formed.
2. Add cocoa powder and milk powder, and pulse blender again, just until everything is incorporated.
3. Store cocoa mix in a air-tight jar.
4. To make cocoa: Bring 8 ounces of water to a boil. Whisk 2 heaping tablespoons of cocoa mix with the water until dissolved. (To get the froth shown in the images, use a hand-held milk aerator). Pour cocoa into mug, and top with whipped cream or marshmallows as desired.

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

This recipe was updated on 11/2/2018, with new images and a few recipe tweaks! It’s even better than the original.

You sure do like the snow a lot for someone that hates the cold. 

That's me. I'm a total whiner when it comes to being cold, but when I hear a big snow storm is on the way, I audibly cheer. If I hear it's already snowing, I run to the window to see for myself. There's something magical about the snow that makes me feel like I'm 5 years old again -- like the world is one giant mystery and I'm just a little explorer, trying to figure it out. Trucking through the snow, with the right mindset, is one of my favorite parts of winter. 

But- back to that whining part. I'm a super wimp about being cold. Like, take my down coat with me on a hike in July kind of wimp. If I owned one of those giant down onesie suits they take to Mt. Everest, I'd probably bring that with me too.

Being a snow-loving, cold-hating outdoorsy person, here's what I've learned:

1. Warm mittens are a must. Notice I said mittens. They're way warmer than gloves. 

2. Bring that coat. You wont regret it. Sure, it's possible you won't use it, but if there's a chance you'll use it, bring it. While we're talking about coats and mittens let's just jump to it and say, bring all of the clothes. Hats. Long underwear. Ear muffs. The whole lot.

3. Bring snacks you love. Ok, you need lots of energy to stay warm and snacks, good snacks, give you energy and something to distract you from the cold.

4. Make sure there's warm food waiting for you at home, or a cozy restaurant worth stopping at when your adventure is over. Soup is a great idea. Lots of soup, with plenty of spices to heat you up.

Aren't you feeling warmer just thinking about this big bowl of cozy soup?

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Published February 18, 2016 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 6   |    Active Time: 20 active minutes

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Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 bell peppers, diced

1/2 cup frozen corn kernels (or diced zucchini Paleo)

1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (about 1-2 peppers from the jar)

1 4.5-ounce can green chiles

1 teaspoon ground chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon each of salt & pepper

5 cups broth

Optional, to serve: jalapeño slices, cilantro, lime wedges, avocado, toasted tortilla strips (tortilla chips work too!)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, or the bottom of your slow cooker, sauté the diced onion, and minced garlic. Add the beef, breaking it up into grounds, and cook until browned. Once cooked, place in your slow cooker (if it is not already there).
2. Now, add the bell peppers, corn, canned tomatoes, chipotle peppers, green chilies, spices and salt to the pot. Finally, add the broth.
3. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
4. To serve: ladle hot soup into bowls. Top with cilantro, jalapeño slices, lime wedges, and a toasted tortilla strips