fruit and almond tart

I guess you can call this a tart.
Maybe a crostini?
I really don't know.
All I know is that I started experimenting with this type of dessert a while back, and I just can't get enough of it!
So, here is today's version- with pears, blackberries, almond paste and mascarpone cheese.

Here we go...

First, peel and slice your pears.

Then roll out your dough.
(yes, I used pre-made pie crust from the grocery store. So sue me...)

Next, put a thin layer of almond paste on top of the crust.

Top that with a layer of mascarpone cheese, then layer the pears on top.
(sorry there's no picture of the cheese layer- my hands were to dirty to snap one. And I forgot).

Next, roll the berries in a little sugar, then place them on top of the pears.
Use as little or many as you want here!

Once its done, Pop it into the oven. I cooked it at 400 for about 30 minutes.
Then I put the broiler on to brown the top.
Mostly because I have a crappy oven.
If you have a good oven, the baking should be enough.

Once it's done let it chill for a few (hot sugars do not feel good on the roof of your mount, trust me!), then enjoy. And feel free to pair this with some nice vanilla bean ice cream. I wish I had had some!!!

See you soon!
:)

Cauliflower Leek Soup

If you like cauliflower as much as I do, and you only have about 15 minutes to make something super yummy, then you will Love this soup!
And, if you don't like cauliflower, feel free to replace it with broccoli.
And if you don't like leeks (which are basically just giant scallions/green onions) feel free to leave them out.

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower, 1 leek, 1/2 a small shallot, 1 tbsp. vegetable oil, chicken broth and milk (not pictured)

First, sautee the leeks and shallots in a pot with the oil. These add a little something extra to the cauliflower flavor. But again, if you don't like the flavor of onions, just omit this step.

Once those are happy and warm, add the cauliflower.

 Then add just enough broth to cover everything.

Cover and cook on high for about 10 minutes, until the cauliflower is soft.

Once the cauliflower is fully cooked, it's time to get out the immersion blender. One of my favorite tools.
If you don't have one of these, you can pour everything into a regular blender, then pour it back into the pan. Or you can just go get one of these. Trust me, you will be glad you did.

Once the cauliflower is mashed, add a little milk, then finish blending until its smooth. Feel free to use cream if you want this to be a little richer. And, if you want it to be real rich, you can add some butter too.
(And please pay no attention to my chipped nail polish. Eew!)

At this point, feel free to add a little salt, pepper, butter, garlic, cheese- whatever you want to make it the flavor you love.
And, at this point you can either eat this like soup (which I did), or use it as an additive.
For example, you could add it to risotto. Or add more veggies to it to make a little stew. Or mix in some shellfish. Or put a nice piece of salmon on top.
Basically, depending on how thick or thin you make it, you could really use it in a lot of different ways.
But me, I like it as soup.

Oh, and when garnishing, always be sure to use one of the ingredients in the dish so that people know it's in there.

Enjoy! :)