On the First Day of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent me a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

Making homemade desserts can be intimidating if you are not a trained pastry chef. Solution, my Apple Pear Tartelette. When the apples and pears are ripe it’s time to pick & prepare. This tart is also a great last minute “I’m entertaining tonight dessert.” And, once you’ve made this a couple times you’ll want to strut your pastry 101 skills and whip it up in front of your guests. Enjoy!

Warm Apple Pear Tartlette 
Makes six servings
chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle 
1/4 cup unsalted sweet butter
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons water + 2 Tablespoons white pure cane sugar
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 medium size Granny Smith apples; peeled, cored and sliced + 2 medium size gala or a sweeter apple; peeled, cored and sliced + 2 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and sliced
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
1 store bought frozen puff pastry shells, baked  

Preheat sauté pan to medium temperature. 
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a simmer. Reduce temperature and let simmer two minutes. Cool and mix with sliced apples.
Optional: 
Add 2 Tablespoons cranberries or toasted walnuts to apple filling.
In center of baked puff pastry, top with warm apple and pear filling. Serve with freshly whipped cream or ice cream.

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Mother's Day Waffles, Do It!

Celebrate Mom this weekend and say George sends his best to honor your Mom this Sunday and everyday! This is my most requested breakfast dish when family and friends stay over at my home. Share it with your mom for any occasion. Equally as good with my Oven Fried Garlic Chicken as seen on GHL TV.

Steamy Belgium Waffles

8 waffles 

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2 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons Sugar

2 cups milk

1/3 butter, melted

2 cups flour

2 egg whites, stiffly beaten

1 Tablespoon baking powder

Preheat waffle maker. Put all ingredients, except egg whites, in a large mixer bowl. Beat on low until moistened. Increase to medium, mix until smooth. By hand, gently fold in beaten egg whites. Pour 1/2 cup batter over grids. Close waffle maker, bake until steam no longer escapes, about 3-5 minutes. Repeat. Serve while hot with your favorite topping.

Note: Serve with fresh fruit, maple syrup, whipped cream or ice cream.

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Honey Glazed

Bake a Winner!

Ham cooking rule of thumb = 325 degrees F. at 25 minutes per pound or follow package instructions.

Estimate needing 1/2 to 3/4 of a pound of bone-in ham per person, or 1/4 to 1/3 of a pound of boneless ham.

Fully cooked hams can be served as is, but they'll taste better if glazed and roasted to an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.

George’s Honeyed Ham Glaze Recipe

Makes enough glaze for a medium size ham 

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1 cup honey

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons orange juice

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon ginger, minced

1 Tablespoon orange zest

Mix all ingredients together in small pot, bring up to a boil, then simmer for five minutes. Pour over ham as a glaze 15-20 minutes before removing from oven. Baste every five minutes, remove from oven and cool slightly. 

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Leg of Lamb, Spinach and Mint Sauce

My art is a smoke-blackened empire Athenaeus, Greek scholar c.200 A.D.

My travels to Greece have inspired this recipe. Tried and true - this open fire spit recipe is always a crowd pleaser and is one of my most requested dishes off the grill. The fire-smoke combo flavors the meat while it slowly caramelizes on the spit. Opa, happy Friday!

Leg of Lamb, Spinach and Mint Sauce Recipe

Makes 10-12 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle 

5-6 pound boneless leg of lamb, split

2 cups fresh spinach, cleaned

8 fresh mint leaves

1 head garlic, peeled

1/2 cup orange juice

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

Place fresh spinach, garlic, and mint leaves in a food processor or blender. 

Blend until leaves are small, add orange juice and vinegars.  Blend one minute or just until all ingredients are well mixed.  Place lamb in a large bowl, pour marinade over the lamb, cover, and refrigerate for 2 days, turning lamb twice a day.

Pre heat grill to high, or oven to 375 degrees.  Remove lamb from marinade, dry the surface of the meat with paper towels and grill or roast 30-40 minutes until the entire surface is nicely brown.  Use caution if grilling to cook on an indirect heat to avoid flare ups.  

Place marinade in a large braising pan and bring up to a rapid boil.  When meat is brown add meat to marinade, cover pan, lower temperature of grill to low or oven to 300 degrees and cook for 2 1/2 hours or until lamb is fork tender.   

When meat is cooked remove to a serving platter and allow to rest for thirty minutes prior to carving.  While meat is resting bring juices in braising pan to a boil and reduce the juices until it is all homogenized. Drizzle juices over sliced lamb and serve.

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23 becomes 24

You warmly welcomed me into your homes on your local PBS station 23 years ago. Since then you would think cooking has changed? However, food is really the same. I have experienced the power of food—the goodness, especially when respect, passion and love are an essential ingredient. This is confirmed through your many messages over the years thanking me for instilling a spark to go ahead and try it yourself, cooking for family and friends. In 2018 I look forward to sharing countless more goodness as I enter the 24th year since the launch of my first TV series. 

Cheers & Happy New Year! George

Champagne is recognized as the universal symbol of good news, and this cocktail's simple recipe shows that life doesn't have to be complicated to be enjoyed. A Champagne Cocktail is a classic. 

Classic Champagne Cocktail

Recipe: Six ounces of champagne and a sugar cube soaked in Angostura bitters is all it takes to make a sophisticated cocktail for the New Year. Drop the sugar cube into a tall flute glass, and then slowly add champagne and a lemon twist. 

Tips: With the Champagne Cocktail, you can trust the bitters to take the edge off a lesser quality champagne or sparkling wine. For this drink, you can use a lesser expensive wine spending about $10 to $18 for a good domestic bottle.

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