Easy Pear Recipes Baked and Fresh

Easy Pear Recipes--There's no need to peel a pear... their tender, edible skin is an additional source of fiber. A medium sized pear provides 4 grams of fiber, or 16% of the recommended daily value. Always wash all fresh fruits and vegetables before serving.

Make Pears Part of Your 5 A Day Plan

It is easy to include pears in your 5 A Day Plan. Take a pear for lunch, either fresh, dried or in a flip top can. Snack with pears during the day. Use baked or broiled pears with a sauce as a light tasty dessert. Use pear slices dipped in lemon as a garnish to jazz up foods. Sliced thin wedges served with chunks of cheese, smoked turkey and seedless grapes on a skewer make a healthy appetizer or side dish.

Toss chopped pears into a chicken, tuna, green, fruit or cottage cheese salad. When roasting vegetables, add pear slices to the vegetable mix. Try using pear slices on your next grilled chicken sandwich. Use pears where you would use apples…… Enjoy!

Pear Recipes

Poached Red Pear Zinfandel Recipes
Makes 4 servings

Each serving equals one 5 A Day serving
4 large ripe red pears or other pear variety
1 1/2 cups white zinfandel or rose wine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup sugar
4 tsp honey
fresh mint leaves (optional)

Core pears from bottom, leaving stem intact. Using a paring knife, peel a
spiral channel from tip to bottom of fruit, if desired. Slice the bottoms off
pears to allow them to stand upright. Stand pears up in the bottom of a large
saucepan; add wine and vanilla. Bring mixture just to boiling. Reduce heat and
simmer pears, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until pears are just tender.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer pears to four dessert dishes. Add sugar to
liquid in pan; bring to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 12
minutes or until liquid is reduced to 2/3-cup and is the consistency of a thin
sauce. Spoon sauce over pears. Drizzle honey on top. Serve warm or chilled.
Garnish sauce on each plate with fresh mint leaves, if desired.

Nutritional analysis per serving: calories 250, protein 1g, fat 1g, percent calories
from fat 2%, cholesterol 0mg, carbohydrates 49g, fiber 4g, sodium 5mg

Baked Pears with Lemon Sauce Recipes 
Makes 4 servings

Each serving equals one 5 A Day serving

Source: Produce for Better Health/Carol Withers

4 pears (medium-sized), peeled
3 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp honey
2 whole cloves
2 tsp cornstarch (for Lemon Sauce)
3/4 cup skim milk, divided (for Lemon Sauce)
1 cinnamon stick (for Lemon Sauce)
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind (for Lemon Sauce)
3 Tbsp lemon juice (for Lemon Sauce)
1 Tbsp honey (for Lemon Sauce)

Cut pears in half lengthwise and remove cores. Arrange pears, cut side up, in
a glass baking dish. Combine water, honey and cloves and pour over pears.
Cover and bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm pears with 1/4-
cup chilled lemon sauce.

To make sauce combine cornstarch and 1/4-cup milk in a small saucepan,
stirring until blended. Add remaining 1/2-cup milk and cinnamon. Simmer over
medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened.
Reduce heat and stir in remaining ingredients until well blended. Remove
from heat and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours or
until thoroughly chilled. Remove cinnamon stick before serving.

Nutritional analysis per serving: calories 160, protein 3g, fat 1g, percent
calories from fat 4%, cholesterol 1mg, carbohydrates 39g, fiber 5g, sodium
28mg

Pear Sauce Recipes 
Makes 4 (1/2 cup) servings

Each serving equals one 5 A Day serving

Serve Pear Sauce warm with cream or cold with whipped topping, sour cream
or low fat yogurt or over low fat baked goods.

6 cups pared, cored and cubed Pears, any variety
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Touch of nutmeg

(Microwave Method) Combine all ingredients in 2-quart microwave-safe
measure or bowl. Cover and microwave on HIGH (100%) 6 minutes. Stir pear
mixture; rotate dish one-quarter turn and microwave at HIGH 6 to 8
minutes longer or until tender. Puree in blender or food processor.

(Conventional Method) Increase water to 1/2-cup with ingredients above;
bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes or until pears are
tender. Puree pears as above.

Nutritional analysis per serving: calories 171, protein 1g, fat 1g, percent
calories from fat 5%, cholesterol 0mg, carbohydrates 44g, fiber 6g, sodium
1mg

Chicken & Pear Pockets Recipes
Makes 4 servings (8 half sandwiches)

Each serving equals one 5 A Day serving

4 pita pockets, cut in halves
1 medium pear, cored, halved and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
8 slices of Swiss cheese (to reduce fat use a low fat or part skim Cheese)
3 chicken breast halves, cooked, cooled and sliced
mayonnaise, as needed (to reduce fat use fat free mayo)
dijon-style mustard, as needed
lettuce leaves, as needed
salt and black pepper to taste

Spread mayonnaise and mustard inside each pita half and line with lettuce
leaves. Toss pear slices with lemon juice to prevent browning. Arrange pear
slices and cheese in pita halves. Season chicken with salt and pepper and
arrange in sandwiches.

Nutritional analysis per serving using 2 teaspoons mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon
mustard per serving: calories 488, protein 42.3g, fat 16g (fat can be
reduced by using fat free mayo & part skim cheese), percent calories from
fat 29%, cholesterol 98g, carbohydrates 43g, fiber 3g, sodium 473mg