Baked Pear Salad

Another winner from Skinny Taste! The combo of savor pear, salty cheese and crunchy nuts make it! I reduced the olive oil, upped the vinegar and omitted the honey – I prefer a 2:1 ration when it comes to salad dressing. 

Ingredients:
2 large ripe pears, halves and cored
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dijon
2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
5 c spinach, arugula, or fav green
2 oz gorgonzola
1/2 c toasted pecans

Preheat ovento 350.

Place a piece of parchment on a small pan. Season pears with salt and pepper, place  cut side down on parchment and spray with olive oil. Bake 30 min and let cool for 10.

Combine oil, vinegar, Dijon, salt and pepper in a small jar and shake to combine. 

Toss the greens with a little dressing. Too with cheese, nuts and pear.

Serves 2 – 4.

Advertisement

Salad with Pears, Pecans and Gorgonzola

 
What makes a great salad? A simple dressing, some fresh fruit, cheese and crunchy nuts!

Ingredients:
Dressing:
3 tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp walnut oil
1/2 c olive oil
Salt and pepper

Salad:
1 bag mixed salad greens
1 firm pears, sliced thin
1/4 c pecans, toasted
1/4 lb gorgonzola

Toss salad greens with a litfle dressingto coat. Top with cheese, nuts and fruit.

Serves 6 – 8.

Seared Foie with salad

I found a place that will ship Foie into California – yeah!! This is the perfect fall recipe.

Ingredients:
1 asian pear, cored and quartered
2 TBSP butter
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp allspice
Salt and pepper
1 red onion, in 1/2 inch wedges with root intact

Vinaigrette:
1 TBSP sherry vinegar
1/2 TBSP Dijon
1 tsp salt
pepper
2 TBSP walnut oil
2 TBSP olive oil

Heartily salad green
4 – 6 oz Foie sliced 1/2 inch thick

Preheat oven to 375.

In an oven proof skillet, melt butter with spices, add pears and onions, cook for about 5 minutes until brown, flip over and bake in the oven for 25 minutes until soft.

Combine the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small jar and shake until combined.

When ready to serve, toss salad with vinaigrette, top with onions and pears.

Heat a small skillet over medium high heat, add Foie and cook about 2 minutes until browned. Turn and cook the other side, about 1 – 2 minutes until browned. Serve on salad and pit any fat over salad.

Serves 2.

Foie and Shiitake with Streamed Pear and Port Sauce

So I got all fancy for my pre birthday dinner. If you don’t have Foie Gras Pate, you can use regular pate.

Ingredients:
2 c mixed micro greens

Port Sauce:
1 TBSP oil
2 shallots, minced
3 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1/2 c port

In a small pan, heat oil over medium heat and cook shallots until soft, add vinegar and port, and cook until reduced 3/4, about 45 minutes.
Asian Pear:
1 Asian pear, peeled, cored and halved
Steam for 15 minutes until tender. Set aside and keep warm.

Pot stickers:
Won ton wrappers
2 oz foie gras pate
6 shiitake mushrooms, 3 steamed and chopped into a small dice and 3 sliced thin
Salt and pepper
2 shallots, minced
2 TBSP tarragon, minced
1 TBSP ginger, minced
1 TBSP soy sauce

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients except pate and wonton wrappers and thinly sliced shiitake. Place 1 tsp of pate in the middle of wrapper, top with 1 tsp of mushrooms, moisten edges and pinch together. Repeat with remaining wontons.

Heat 1 TBSP oil in a non stick skillet over medium heat, add wontons in a single layer, add 1/4 c water and cover pan with lid, cooking for 15 minutes until water is evaporated and dumplings are crispy.

In a separate non-stick skillet cook sliced shiitake over medium heat until crispy on all sides, about 15 minutes.

To assemble, place a pear 1/2 in the middle of the plate, surround with 1/2 the dumplings, 1/2 the salad, 1/2 the sautéed mushrooms and drizzle with port sauce.

Serves 2.

Ginger-Peartini

Doing a little Asian flair tonight and this is the perfect cocktail to start the evening off right. The sweetness of the pear with the kick of ginger – perfect!

Ingredients:
Equal parts:
Pear Vodka
Domain Canton

Shake with ice and serve.

Ginger Pear and Apple Crisp

Dessert is one my favorite courses! This crisp beings together the best of fall with apples and pears! And since this choke full of fruit you don’t have to feel as guilty indulging.

Ingredients
3 Pinklady apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3 Bosc pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP ginger, chopped
1 TBSP ground cinnamon
¾ c unsalted butter
1 c brown sugar
1 c old fashioned oats
1 c Flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the apples and pears in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice, crystalized ginger and cinnamon until everything is evenly incorporated. Transfer to mixture to a baking dish big enough to hold all the fruit.

In a food processor, combine the butter, sugar, oats and flour pulse until you have a course crumbly mixture.

Pour the crumble mixture on top of the fruit and evenly distribute everything so the fruit is covered

Place the baking dish into the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

Serves 10.

Pear & Duck Salad

Costco sells a great Duck Confit – just heat and serve! This is a wonderful salad I found on Epicurious. It comes together super quick so it is great for lunch or weeknight meal.

Ingredients:
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 TBSP Sherry vinegar
4 TBSP olive oil
1 shallot
1/2 c pecans, coarsely chopped, toasted
2 confit duck legs
2 firm-ripe pears
8 c mixed greens
2 ozs crumbled blue cheese

Preheat oven to 425.

In a small food processor, chop shallots, add mustard, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper.

Heat duck for 15 – 20 minutes until skin crisps.

Halve and core pears and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Add pears, greens, duck, cheese, and nuts to dressing with salt and pepper to taste, then toss gently to combine.

Serves 2.