Nothing adds a refreshing hint of sweetness to recipes more than the fruit of the season — pears!
Roasted Carrot and Pear Soup
When you think of matches made in heaven, do you think Barbie and Ken, Laurel and Hardy or Lucy and Ethel? Well, here’s one you might not have thought of but will go down in history as a dynamic duo – carrots and pears. Yes, one spoonful of this Roasted Carrot and Pear Soup recipe and you’ll quickly discover the oven-roasted sweetness of the carrots blends beautifully with the pears, along with fresh thyme and ginger.
Ingredients
4 cups carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 pears, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp kosher salt
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
¼ tsp kosher salt
6 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Sprigs of fresh thyme, to garnish
Directions
1) Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a large bowl, toss carrots and pears with olive oil, salt and thyme sprigs. Place carrot mixture in a shallow roasting pan and roast 20-30 minutes until tender, stirring halfway through cooking.
2) Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger and salt and continue to cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the roasted carrots and pears discard thyme stems. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the carrots are soft enough to puree. Using a blender, puree soup in 2 batches. Stir in the lemon juice to the pureed soup. Garnish each serving with a sprig of thyme.
Serves 4-6
Squash, Pecan, and Pear Salad
One bite of sweet roasted squash, spicy pecans and juicy pears and you won’t be able to put your fork down.
Ingredients
Spicy Pecans
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
Sweet Squash
3 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
3/4 tsp kosher salt
Vinaigrette
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil
8 cups loosely packed mixed salad greens
2 large pears, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Directions
1) Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.
2) For the pecans, in a small bowl, toss pecans with olive oil, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder and cayenne. Spread pecans out on prepared baking sheet. Bake 5 minutes or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool.
3) For the squash, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with non- stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, toss cubed squash with olive oil, syrup and salt. Spread on prepared baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, stir and continue to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until squash is tender and lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
4) For the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk vinegar, Dijon mustard, brown sugar and salt. Continue to whisk, slowly adding olive oil until combined.
5) In a large serving bowl, gently toss salad greens with 2 tbsp of dressing to lightly coat. Add pecans, squash, pears and dried cranberries. Drizzle salad with remaining dressing.
Serves 6-8
Asian Pear Mojito
A spoon (actually two teaspoons) of honey make the vodka go down in the most delightful way, especially in this Asian Pear Mojito, a refreshing blend of pears, basil, honey and vodka.
Ingredients
¼ cup peeled and chopped Asian pear
4 fresh basil leaves, torn
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp honey
2oz pear vodka
Ginger ale, to top up
Fresh basil, thinly sliced to garnish
Directions
Using a tall glass, muddle chopped pears, torn basil, lemon juice and honey. Fill the glass halfway with ice cubes and stir in pear vodka. Top up glass with ginger ale. Stir well and garnish with basil.
Serves 1
Maple Balsamic Salad with Roasted Pecans
Really, the title of the lip-smacking recipe should read: Incredible Salad of Crisp Romaine, Tart Pom Seeds, Crunchy Apples and Sweet Pears, all tossed in a Maple Balsamic Dressing and topped with Homemade Bacon Roasted Pecans. A mouthful, but a delicious one at that.
Ingredients
Bacon Roasted Pecans
6 slices bacon
1½ cups pecan halves
1 tbsp bacon grease
1 tbsp maple syrup
¼ tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Maple Balsamic Dressing
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp brown sugar
½ cup olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Salad
8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
½ cup pomegranate seeds
1 large pear, chopped
1 large apple, chopped
1½ cups bacon roasted pecans
Directions
1) For the bacon roasted pecans, preheat oven to 375ºF. Using a large skillet, cook bacon and reserve 1 tablespoon of grease. Remove bacon and set aside. In a medium bowl, toss pecans with bacon grease, maple syrup, salt and cinnamon. Place on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Bake 10-12 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool.
2) For the balsamic dressing, in a small bowl, whisk balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard and brown sugar. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Add salt to taste.
3) To assemble the salad, in a large serving bowl, combine lettuce, bacon, pomegranate seeds, pear, apple and pecans. Toss with maple balsamic dressing just before serving.
Serves 4
Authors of bestselling cookbooks Bite Me, Bite Me Too and Lick Your Plate, saucy sisters Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat love eating, feeding, entertaining and dishing up easy recipes at BiteMeMore.com.
