Paper Palate

The September issue of Vegetarian Times is out and full of tempting “hot tips, cool tools and quick recipes,” but you’ll have to buy or borrow an issue since none of September’s content is posted online yet.

The cover boasts the magazine has “30+ dishes for busy weeknights” and it is packed with recipes that appear to be tasty and relatively stressless to make.

One of my favorites is a dessert in the quick/fast food section. Raspberry and Banana S’mores seem like a grown up, (slightly) healthier version of the childhood classic and were developed by food stylist Tara Bench. Here’s Vegetarian Times’ rendition of the cookout classic, no firepit or bbq grill needed.

Raspberry and Banana S’Mores

½ cup fresh raspberries
1 tsp. sugar
6 graham crackers broken in half
4 ounce milk chocolate bar broken into 1-inch pieces
1 banana, sliced very thin on an angle
¾ cup Marshmallow Fluff

Turn broiler on and allow to preheat. Toss berries and sugar together and let stand 10 minutes.

Put graham cracker halves on baking sheet, top with chocolate. Then add two or three banana slices on top half of the graham cracker pieces. Top the rest with the sugared raspberries.

Cover each of the cracker combinations with a tablespoon of the Marshmallow Fluff. Put the baking sheet about a half foot under the broiler. Cook for about one and a half to two minutes until chocolate has softened and the fluff is lightly browned.

Makes Six Servings

One of the other highlights of the issue is the article on goat cheese, featuring five ways to use the “incredible, spreadable” ingredient. Here’s a rundown on Vegetarian Times’ Didi Emmons’ recipes. One – Smoky Penne with Corn and Cherry Tomatoes. Two – Crustless Chard and Cheese Quiche. Three – Goat and Blackberry Tart. Four – Creamy Goat Cheese Dressing. Five – Roasted Pears with Chevre Chaud. While they all seem delicious, number five will be my number one choice as an appetizer at my next dinner party. In fact, if I skip the optional greens, it could even make a nice non-traditional dessert.

Roasted Pears with Chevre Chaud

4 Tbs. balsamic vengar
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. honey
4 red-skinned pears, halved and cored
2-4-oz. logs fresh (soft) goat cheese
½ cup finely chopped walnuts
2 cups baby mesclun greens, optional.

Turn oven to 400F and preheat. Spray a large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix together vinegar, oil and honey in a bowl. Brush mixture over pears and set pears cut side down in greased baking dish. Pour rest of vinegar-oil-honey mixture over pears. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the pears are fork tender.

While the pears are cooking, spread chopped walnuts out on a plate. Roll goat cheese logs in walnut pieces and cut each log into fourths. Set aside.

Increase oven temperature to broil. Turn pears cut side up in baking dish. Insert the slices of goat cheese in the hollows of pears. Broil five to seven minutes. Cheese should be softened and browned on top.

To serve place a pear half on a plate, spoon with juices from baking dish and surround with greens, if using. Serve while warm.

Makes Eight Servings