Tag Archives: pears

Go green and get your culinary jig on this St. Patrick’s Day

Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC By on
pretty diced pear and apple chutney in a jar

Many Irish staples carry an impressive nutrient profile. You can boost the benefits even further by complementing them with flavorful, nutritious pears. Here are 4 ways to do it: 1) Irish Oatmeal Start the day with a festive batch of oatmeal. Prepare this simple recipe for Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats, then speckle with pieces of bright green Anjou pear (in season now!). 2) Soda Bread This quick and easy 5-Ingredient Whole-Wheat Irish Soda Bread is hearty and satisfying without breaking the calorie bank. Serve with a spread of pear jam or spoonfuls of pear chutney and chunks of sharp cheddar cheese. 3) Potatoes Spuds get a bad reputation for being unhealthy but are actually filled with important nutrients, including potassium, iron, fiber and B-vitamins. Bake, mash or cut into fries and roast in the oven. Serve with roasted chicken Continue reading →

February is Heart Health Month

Tanya Zuckerbrot MS, RD By on

There’s good reason as to why we have an entire month dedicated to heart health: heart disease is the number 1 cause of death for men and woman in the United States (National Center for Health Statistics, 2016). According to the CDC, this has been the case for upwards of 80 years now, with current numbers pointing to about 610,000 deaths in the United States every year. Translation: heart disease is to blame for 1 out of every 4 deaths in America! While statistics like this are shocking and scary, there is at least one thing you can start doing today to immediately lower your risk: improve your diet. The truth is, a healthy heart is directly correlated with a healthy diet. Studies show that fiber is excellent at preventing and reducing elevated cholesterol levels, which is a strong predictor Continue reading →

#PearUp with a Pal for Lasting Results!

Amy Kweller MS, RD By on

Now that 2017 is fully underway, you may be feeling less motivated to maintain your New Year’s resolution. You’re not alone: By two weeks into January, approximately 1/3 of us have failed to maintain our resolutions. So maybe it’s time to #pearup with a friend or group! Studies suggest that people who participate alongside a partner or group, whether for weight loss or physical activity, tend to stick with the program longer (1, 2). Weight management programs that incorporate meetings or phone calls tend to have greater success partly due to encouragement and accountability (3). Newer research even suggests that online weight loss communities via various social media platforms are associated with greater weight loss (4, 5). From my personal experience, friends make the journey fun and we feel less alone. Friends and I sometimes get together to prep recipes Continue reading →

Green Pear Juice

Andrea Slonecker By on

There’s perhaps no better way to start the day than a fresh pressed juice. Especially for those of us trying to reboot in January for a healthful start to 2017. With juicy, ripe pears as the base—delivering Vitamin C, sweetness, and flavor—this recipe is packed with nutrient-rich kale, cucumber, ginger, and lemon. It provides a burst of vitality on a chilly winter morning, but what’s more, it’s straight up delicious. If you aren’t yet on the juice kick, consider this a great place to start! Makes 40 ounces (serves 2 to 4) 2 pounds ripe or slightly overripe USA Green Bartlett Pears, halved 1 bunch kale 1 ounce fresh ginger (about 3-inches long by 1-inch wide) 2 lemons, peel and outer pith cut away 1 large cucumber, cut into thirds Pass all ingredients through a produce juicer in the order Continue reading →

Pear, Pistachio & Parmesan Pinwheels

Andrea Slonecker By on

You’ll be the host with the most when you present these warm, flaky hors d’oeuvres to guests on New Year’s Eve. Diced USA pears are rolled up in puff pastry, with crunchy pistachios, piquant Parmesan, and a kick of cracked pepper, creating bite-sized bursts of flavor. Deceptively simple to prepare, and sweet and savory at the same time, they make the perfect cocktail accompaniment. 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half a 17.3-ounce package), thawed 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 cup finely diced USA Red Anjou or Bartlett pear (about ½ a large pear) ¼ cup ground pistachios ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper Place the pastry sheet on a clean work surface and roll it out to smooth the seams and create a 10-inch square. Cut the square in half, forming two 10-by-5-inch Continue reading →

Four Recipes for Diabetic Eating

Katie Cavuto By on

Nourishing, naturally sweet and truly delicious, pears are in season which makes it the perfect time of year to celebrate the joy of eating well. National Diabetes Month (November) is coming to a close, but eating diabetes-friendly foods is important year-round and it’s my personal mission to change the conversation around the diabetic diet from one of deprivation to one of gratifying intentions to eat to nourish your body. Whole foods, like pears, are nutrient dense and sustaining which makes them easy to love. I also love the concept of “food gratitude” as it offers you a positive way to celebrate the good-for-you foods on your plate like the many reasons to be grateful for pears. The fiber content of the pear, 6 grams per medium piece of fruit, helps to naturally keep blood sugars in check. Plus, they are Continue reading →

Cauliflower Pear Soup

Amy Sherman By on

Cauliflower and pear are blended together to form a rich and creamy soup with just a hint of sweetness. A garnish of pear and sage leaves adds a festive touch.  Ingredients:                2 Red D’anjou pears 1 head of cauliflower, about 4 cups roughly chopped 2 cups water 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth 1 cup whole milk 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 10-12 fresh sage leaves Directions:  Peel, core and chop one pear, then cut the other pear in half and peel, core and chop one half. Remove the core from the reserved pear half, and finely dice it, and set it aside for a garnish. Place the chopped pear and cauliflower in a soup pot and add the water and broth. Bring to a boil over Continue reading →

Why Alternative Protein Like Cricket Flours May Work for You

By on

What do you do when you can’t eat 90% of the foods you used to enjoy? You start from scratch and that’s not such a bad thing. Charles B. Wilson – Founder & CEO of CricketFlours.com Many of us have shared that same feeling when we look around the kitchen and think, “There is nothing to eat in here!” However, in reality there many delicious recipes that could be made with ingredients at hand but sometimes we lack the inspiration or motivation. However, a little while ago I found myself along that same line of thinking but there was actually nothing that I could eat – literally nothing. I confess, I have a vested interest in this topic, as I’m the founder of Cricket Flours. But let me tell you a little about my experience and why it led me Continue reading →

Mulligatawny Soup with Chicken, Pears, and Coconut

Hilary By on

This autumn inspired version of Mulligatawny soup is sure to delight. Colorful pears, tender chicken, sweet potatoes, and rich coconut milk star in this adaptation of a classic English soup with Indian origins. The recipe comes together in about 30 minutes for an easy weeknight dinner, and the leftovers taste even better. Top the soup with crunchy toasted coconut and bright, fresh cilantro leaves. Ingredients: 2 tablespoon butter, divided 1 pound chicken breast, cut into ½ inch pieces salt and pepper 1 medium yellow onion, medium dice 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger 1 ½ teaspoon Madras curry powder 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon garam masala 4 cups chicken broth 1 pound sweet potatoes, medium dice 2 firm USA Pears, such as Concorde or Comice, medium dice 1 (13.5 oz.) can coconut milk ¾ cup unsweetened coconut Continue reading →

Pear Sweetened Spiced Molasses Cookies

Hilary By on

These delightful fall cookies are reminiscent of a classic soft molasses cookie, but are made with less than half of the sugar in a typical recipe. Pear puree stands in for much of the sugar, adding a wonderfully unique pear flavor to the cookies, along with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Bake off a batch of these tender cookies and store the extras in the refrigerator for packing into lunches or for after school snacks. Ingredients: 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted ¼ cup packed light brown sugar 1 egg 1 cup pear puree (from about 2 ripe USA Pears, such as Red or Green Bartlett, diced and pureed in a blender until smooth) ¼ cup molasses 2 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon cloves ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt granulated sugar, for Continue reading →