More than 5,000 varieties of pears grow in temperate climates throughout the world. In this country most of our pears are grown in California, Oregon and Washington. Mother Nature has protected the easily bruised pear by making it one of the few fruits that is better when picked while it is still hard and not quite ripe, which means it can be easily shipped and is therefore available year-round.
When buying pears, pick fragrant, firm fruit without blemishes or soft spots and store them at room temperature until ripe. Ripe pears are juicy and range in flavor from sweet and spicy to tart. Ripe pears should be stored in the refrigerator.
This dessert, usually made with apples, is more unusual and even more moist made with pears. Undiluted frozen apple-juice concentrate is used as the primary sweetener and it also gives this delicious, old-fashioned dessert a greater depth of flavor.
The recipe calls for golden raisins simply because they give a more even color to the finished dish, but dark raisins can certainly be substituted.
PEAR BROWN BETTY
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Yield: 12 half-cup servings
6 to 8 medium pears, peeled, cored, thinly sliced,
3/4 cup frozen apple-juice concentrate, undiluted
1/2 cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Topping:
1/3 cup each: whole-wheat flour, quick-cooking oats
3 tablespoons each: dark brown sugar, butter or corn-oil margarine, melted
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine pears, apple-juice concentrate, raisins, 3 tablespoons of the flour and cinnamon in large bowl; mix well. Spoon mixture into 9-inch square baking pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
2. For topping, combine 1/3 cup flour, oats, brown sugar and butter in medium bowl; mix until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over pear mixture; bake until golden brown, about 1 hour.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories …… 180 Fat …………. 4 g Cholesterol .. 8 mg
Sodium …… 35 mg Carbohydrates .. 38 g Protein ……. 2 g
Q. I would be grateful if you would revise this recipe. Thank you so much.
Yvonne Brewitz, Burnsville, Minn.
ITALIAN HOT DISH
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45-50 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
4 ounces pepperoni, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (6 1/2 ounces) mushrooms, drained
1 teaspoon each: dried Italian seasoning, dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon each: dried oregano, salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces, cooked, drained
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Cook beef, pepperoni, bell pepper, onion and garlic in large skillet over medium heat until beef is no longer pink. Stir in tomatoes, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Add pasta; mix well.
2. Spread mixture in greased 13- by 9-inch pan; top with shredded cheese. Bake until hot and bubbly, 45 to 50 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ……. 550 Fat ………… 37 g Cholesterol .. 105 mg
Sodium …… 865 mg Carbohydrates .. 29 g Protein …….. 27 g
A. I used extra-lean ground beef and a reduced amount of a part-skim mozzarella cheese to lower calories, cholesterol and fat. Because I couldn’t find a reduced-fat pepperoni, I substituted a light turkey, pork and beef Italian dry salami. I also reduced the sodium, using only half as much salt.
LIGHTER ITALIAN HOT DISH
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45-50 minutes
Yield: Eight 1 1/4-cup servings
1 1/2 pounds extra-lean ground beef
1 package (3 ounces) Italian dry salami chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (6 1/2 ounces) mushrooms, drained
1 teaspoon each: dried Italian seasoning, dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon each: salt, freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces, cooked, drained
6 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Cook beef, salami, bell pepper, onion and garlic in large non-stick skillet over medium heat until beef is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomatoes, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Add cooked spaghetti; mix well.
2. Spread mixture in 13- by 9-inch pan sprayed with non-stick vegetable oil spray; top with shredded cheese. Bake until hot and bubbly, 45 to 50 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ……. 330 Fat ………… 10 g Cholesterol .. 70 mg
Sodium …… 680 mg Carbohydrates .. 29 g Protein ……. 31 g
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