It’s officially fall! For San Diego, our weather is all over the place right now – chilly mornings and evenings, warm during the day, and hot and dry winds too.
This season is a great time to eat seasonal produce, which includes pears. Add some seasonal spices and walnuts, and this dish is fancy enough to serve at a dinner party, but easy enough to cook at home when you want a taste of fall!
This dish is a great combo of
Sweet pears and honey
Spicy ginger and cinnamon
Nutty walnuts
A sprinkle of sea salt for that delicious salty sweet combo
Dairy free dessert or snack, or enjoy on top of oatmeal or pancakes
Chinese Medicine Ingredients
Pears – in Chinese medicine, pears are considered sweet and cooling, and enter the Lung and Stomach channels to clear heat, mosten dryness and generate body fluids. They are especially good for dry cough and dry throat.
Ginger – pungent and warm to help aid in digestion by warming the abdomen. Ginger is great for alleviating a variety of digestive issues, including nausea, vomiting and upset stomach. It also helps to warm the Lungs to alleviate colds and coughs.
Honey – moistens the Lungs to alleviate coughs, and benefits the Spleen and Stomach for digestion and moistening the intestines.
Cinnamon – in Chinese herbal medicine, cinnamon is considered pungent, sweet and hot to warm and strengthen the body.
Walnuts – high in omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols, which can help support brain function, healthy gut function and decrease inflammation.
Ingredients
Serves 3-6 people as a dessert or snack (3 if you eat the whole pear, 6 if you eat half a pear)
3 medium sized pears
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons water
3 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (from a ginger root about 2.5 inches)
1 cinnamon stick
¼ cup chopped walnuts
Ground cinnamon (to sprinkle on top)
Sea salt (to sprinkle on top)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Line a glass or ceramic oven proof dish with foil or parchment paper.
Cut each pear in half lengthwise, then use a spoon to scoop out the core in the center of each pear (scoop out a little ball of pear core to leave a circular hole in the center). Place the pear halves in the dish skin side down.
Combine the honey, water, cinnamon stick and ginger in a small saucepan, and heat the pan on the stove at medium low temperature. Stir the mixture until well combined and slightly bubbling. Remove the cinnamon stick, and pour the sauce over the pears, using a spatula to make sure each pear is well coated in sauce. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts on top.
Bake the pears in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until soft (you can test them by poking them with a fork – they’re done when the fork passes through cleanly). Put the pears back in the oven and broil on the high setting for 3-4 minutes until the sauce has caramelized and the walnuts are toasted, but not burnt.
After removing from the oven, sprinkle with ground cinnamon and sea salt on top, and serve warm.
**Note – this recipe is a variation on the recipe Ginger-Honey Pear from Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen.
References
Bensky, D., Clavey, S., Stoger, E., & Gamble, A. (2004). Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd Edition. Seattle, WA: Eastland Press, Inc.
Wang, Y., Sheir, W., & Ono, M. (2010). Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen: Recipes from the East for Health, Healing, and Long Life. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press.