Pear Salad Recipe

by Kim Steele
(Easy French Food)

Since the ingredients in this pear salad recipe are so delicious, you don't want a heavy dressing masking the flavors, so a simple lemon and rice vinegar dressing works best.

It can also be served without the cheese on top, and would still be a delicious and light first course.

Almost any lettuce will work for this pear salad recipe. Depending on your taste buds you could use anything from a spicy arugula or watercress, to a mild butter lettuce. The same goes for the pears; Bosc, Bartlett, Anjou, or Comice would all be great choices.

Pears are one of the most wonderful fruits. Their sweet flavor and juicy tender texture are delicious in every recipe, from desserts to salads to main dishes. But I've never understood why some people describe pears as 'smooth textured'.

The pear flesh contains a special type of cell, called a stone cell with ultra-thick walls, that gives the flesh a slightly gritty texture. Interestingly, if pears are picked unripe and ripened off the tree, they will contain fewer stone cells.


Ingredients:

• 3 cups arugula or other tender greens

• 6 ounces Roquefort or other blue cheese, crumbled

• 3 pears, cored and sliced in half inch or so sections

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

• 2 tablespoons olive oil


Preparation:

Arrange the arugula and blue cheese on six salad plates.

Melt the butter on medium heat in a saucepan just large enough to hold the pear slices in one layer. Add the pears and cook for two minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Turn them over and cook for one more minute.


Remove the pears and arrange them on the salad plates.

Add the vinegar to the pan and return it to the heat. Simmer the vinegar for three minutes to reduce it and incorporate the flavors left in the pan.

Remove from the heat and stir in the olive oil.

Pour a little of the warm dressing on each of the salads and serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.


*Here I'd like to tell you about my favorite diet program that uses a lot of the healthy lower GI foods: Isabel de los Rios' 'The Diet Solution Program'.

The Diet Solution Program favours a long term health orientated approach to fat loss, but not offering anyone a quick fix to their weight troubles. It has loads of valuable data and research to support its approach. I personally investigated the program thoroughly and my mum has been using it for a while now. I have to say she got some great results.

The nutrition plan is one of the healthiest we have seen, a strong core focus on vegetables, fruits, vitamin dense foods, lean proteins, select dairy produce and a clear approach to not expecting one diet to work for all body types. So give it a try and let me know how you’re doing.*

Original Roquefort and Pear Salad Recipe