Roasted Pears

Until about a year ago, I really did not know what the slang phrase nom, nom, nom meant.  I kept thinking it was a short form of some food-related word starting with nom.  My friends will readily tell you that knowledge of and insights into popular culture elude me!  But let me tell you this, these roasted pears are nom, nom, nom! (For those other clueless people like myself until a year ago, nom, nom, nom is a phrase you use to imitate eating something you find delicious.)

If you are like me, I associate pears with the bland, mushy, canned version.  Yuck!  Even fresh pears are often -well- bland and mushy.  Roasting turns these drab wallflowers of the fruit world into Cinderellas at the ball.  The roasting brings out sweetness and flavor.  You'll be amazing.

Nom. Nom.  Nom.

• Several fresh pears (most all varieties do well but I prefer Anjou pears best)
• Enough fresh or dried cranberries to sprinkle on top of each half of your sliced pears
• Oil
• Allspice (if you don't have allspice, you can also use cinnamon and/or cloves)
• Maple syrup

Pre-heat your oven to 350 F.

Peal each pear and remove the ends.  You can bake these with the skins on the pears but pealing makes them much easier to eat.  The skins are also not as succulent and tasty as the roasted flesh of the pears.

Using a teaspoon or melon baller, scoop out the seeds and a small cavity in the middle of each pear.  If the pears will not lie steady with the cavity side facing up, slice a bit off the rounded side to make that side flat.

Pour some oil in a casserole dish.  Lightly roll and coat each pear in the oil.  

Drizzle maple syrup over the pear halves.  

Put several dried cranberries in the cavities of each pear half.  

Sprinkle with lightly with allspice.  BE CAREFUL:  too much allspice and especially too much cloves if you use cloves as a substitute can be overpowering.  

Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove and serve.

OPTIONS:  Experiment with different types of pears and different spices.  Some people enjoy fresh nutmeg.  Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, makes a wonderful version of this recipe made with walnuts, bleu cheese, and dried cranberries.  

If you do not have maple syrup, you can also use brown sugar and butter placed in the cavity of each pear.  The maple syrup packs a lot of flavor with fewer calories though.  Fresh cranberries are also the way to go if you are a diabetic.  Dried cranberries generally have a lot of sugar in them.

DIETS:
Diabetic:  maybe (the fruit has sugar and this dish has maple syrup)
Gluten Free:  yes
Nightshade Family Free:  yes
Paleo:  yes* (if you allow yourself to have maple syrup)
SugarBusters:  no
Sugar Free:  no
Vegan:  yes
Vegetarian:  yes
Wheat Free:  yes
200 Calories or Under:  yes* (if you use the oil and maple syrup very sparingly)

Notice:  Be sure to check with your doctor and nutritionist about the safety of any eating plan for you.  Also, check ingredients as different brands and products may have different ingredients or have changed them since this post.  Some calories are estimates based on packaging.