Cinnamon Fruit Pouch with Warm Cinnamon sauce

This is a variation of the spinach pouch that I posted a couple of days ago. This one is a sweet version which can either be served as a snack or dessert. I used apple, pear, and peach for this recipe which I sprinkled with cinnamon and brown sugar then wrapped in a wonton wrapper.

The fruits will produce liquid when sprinkled with sugar and makes it a little harder to wrap in wonton wrapper as it will tear easily. The trick that I used is to let the fruit and sugar/cinnamon mixture stand for about 15 to 20 minutes then I drained and discarded the liquid. Even after I drained the liquid, I noticed that the bottom of my pouches was becoming soaked with the liquid so I wrapped the pouches again in another wonton wrapper which seemed to do the trick. I also placed the pouches in the freezer for about 20 minutes just to harden any fluid that may have formed.


When frying these pouches, the temperature of the oil is very important. It has to be hot enough that the frying and browning of the wonton wrapper will only take a short time as this will help harden and make the wrapper crispy. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan so as not to lower the oil's temperature Be careful though when frying in hot oil as it may splatter and burn you. As always, use splatter guard to prevent the oil from splattering all over you and your kitchen.

Although the wonton wrapper stays crisp for a while once fried, it is better to serve these warm as the taste is not as good when it has cooled. The possibility of the bottom turning soggy is also higher the longer the pouches sits after it has been fried. I served these with warm cinnamon sauce. Too bad I did not have any vanilla ice cream...I think this would also go well with it.


Ingredients:

1 apple - peeled, cored, and diced finely
1 peach - peeled,cored, and diced finely
1 pear - peeled, cored, and diced finely
2 Tbsp brown sugar (adjust according to desired sweetness)
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
wonton wrappers
oil for frying

1. 1 a large bowl, mix apple, peach, pear, cinnamon and sugar. Let is stand for 15 to 20 minutes
2. Drain any fluid that has accumulated.
3. Take a tablespoon full of filling and place in the middle of a large wonton wrapper. Gather the edges to form a pouch then twist slightly adn pinch to seal.
4. Take another wonton wrapper and repeat the same procedure. Use small strip of wonton wrapper to tie and secure.
5. To fry: Heat oil over medium high heat. Fry 3-4 at a time, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden in color.
6. Drain excess oil in a paper towel lined plate.
7. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with warm cinnamon sauce.


Warm Cinnamon Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup water
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice

1. Heat saucepan over medium low heat. Combine sugar, flour, water, and lemon juice. Mix until sugar and flour is dissolved.
2. Continue stirring and cook until it thickens.
3. Add butter, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Mix until dissolved and well incormporated.
4. Strain mixture to remove undissolved particles.
5. Serve warm



Sauce recipe adapted from here

Papaya- Asian Pear Smoothie

I have a ripe papaya and asian pear which I got from the Korean market and they look really yummy but I didn't feel like munching on so them so I turned them into smoothie which is an easier way for me to get my daily fruit requirements. They are so easy to make and involves just a few steps but they are packed with nutrients and are so good.


Asian pears are basically the same as their counterparts which are sold at the regular American store except that they are shaped like an apple They are naturally sweet and juicy. Papaya, on the other hand, are abundant in Asia as well as South America. They can be consumed raw or used in dishes. They can also be eaten unripe or ripe depending on the dish. In most some asian cuisines such as that of Vietnam and Thailand, unripe papayas are served as salads. In the Philippines, they are used in dishes such as tinolang manok (chicken soup with papaya) and achara (pickled papaya).


Ingredients:

1 small (about 1 lb) papaya
1 Asian pear
sugar, according to taste
ice cubes

1. Peel papaya. Remove seeds using spoon and then cut into chunks.
2. Core and peel Asian pear and cut into chunks
2. Place Papaya and Asian Pear in blender. Add sugar according to desired sweetness.
3. Puree fruits and sugar until smooth.
4. Add ice cubes and about 30 to 60 cc water and blend until smooth. NOTE: the proportion of pureed fruit to ice cubes should be 1 cup of ice cubes for every cup of pureed fruit mixture or you can adjust it according to your taste.
5. Transfer to tall glasses and serve immediately

Crepes with Nutella and Pears

Woke up really early (730 am) this morning though it isn't much of a surprise since I went to bed rather eraly last night. NOw, that is shocking considering I don't normally go to bed until the wee hours of the morning..hahaha! Anyways, I woke this morning craving for some crepes so I whipped up a batch. I filled it with both sweet and savory (will post recipe next time)fillings. I swear, I am weird sometimes.

Basic crepes are actually easy to make and just requires a few ingredients which are found in most household's pantry. To make, all you need is flour, egg, water, salt, and butter. There is really no special equipment needed although having a crepe pan certainly helps but if you don't have any (most household don't own one, I am sure), you can just use the small frying pan. Preferably lightweight and non-stick so it is easier to lift and swirl the batter around as well as prevent it from sticking to the pan. Since I do not normally use a non-stick frying pan since I use my trusty calphalon cast iron pan for frying, I had to search for the blasted frying pan amidst all the kitchen gadgets, pots, and pans in the cupboard. I was actually mildly surprised to find a crepe pan hidden underneath the mountain of kitchen gadgetry. Ha! that is so like me to forget that I have these things. Gosh I do not even remember when the last time I used this thing...hahaha. Well, that was much better than the frying pan I was thinking of using.


When cooking the crepe, make sure that the pan is hot and lightly oiled. Do not placetoo much oil because it will make the crepes soggy or oily and not light. I use a little bit of Pam spray instead of oil as it works for me better. I also use about quarter of a cup of the batter and spread (swirl) it as thin as possible. It does not take a long time to make crepes, about 1-2 minutes. You will know that it is ready because the edges starts to come off the pan. Read on for the complete recipe.


Ingredients:

Chocolate sauce:

1 cup chocolate chips, semi-sweet
3/4 cup heavy cream

1. Using a double boiler or heat proof bowl over a pan with water, place the crean on the bowl and heat gently until warm.
2. Add chocolate chips and stir until mixture is smooth and glossy.
3. Remove from heat and cool while you cook your crepes.

Filling:

Nutella spread
1 ripe pear- cored and sliced thinly
1 tsp sugar

1. Mix sliced pear and sugar making sure that all the pieces is coated with sugar.
2. Let is stand for 15-20 minutes while you make your crepes.

Basic crepes

1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp butter, melted
a pinch of salt
Pam spray

1. Place slightly beaten eggs in a large bowl. Add flour and mix until slightly incorporated (Batter, at this point will be very thick)
2. Mix milk and water in a separate container.
3. Drizzle milk mixture slowly into the flour mixture while whisking it. Mix until incorporated. (notice that the batter will be thin at this point)
4. Add salt and butter and mix well.
5. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain mixture to remove solid or undissolved ingredients. (This step is important so the batter will be smooth and free from lumps)
6. Heat crepe or frying pan over medium heat.
7. Lightly spray pan with Pam spray or lightly oil it.
8. Take 1/4 cup of the batter and place it on the pan. Spread it around using a swirling motion. Make sure to spread it as thin as possible.
8. Cook for about 1-2 minutes or until the edges starts to come off the pan and slightly golden in color.
9. Repeat until all of the batter has been used up.

To assemble:

1. Take one crepe, spread nutella in the middle area.
2. Assemble pear slices on top of nutella spread.
3. Take one side and fold over the nutella-pear mixture. Do the same with the other side.
4. Top with chocolate sauce and serve.