Strangely enough, the holiday season means things are slowing down a little bit around here. Extra-curriculars are wrapping up, evening activities are winding down, and work is slowing up for the week. That means there was actually a fair amount of cooking going on around here. Well maybe not cooking…dinners prepared at home at least.
For starters, this Pomegranate Pear Walnut Salad has been on rotation for more than a few meals this week, along side a surprisingly delicious pear & grilled red onion vegan grilled cheese sandwich.
My favorite vegan lasagna {tofu & fake cheese free!} made it to the table this week a few times too. {What is it about Italian that makes it so.much.better after it’s been frozen and reheated?}
Even though it’s not quite winter weather yet, I’m pretending it is and gearing up for the coming cold evenings with this hearty kale soup.
And I’d be lying if I said decadent desserts and drinks weren’t on my mind this holiday season.
Last but not least, I finally started decorating for Christmas. Hey, at least I was finished all my shopping early this year.
Now that I’ve gotten over my hesitation of what kind of pear to buy, they’re ending up everywhere- like in today’s salad & sandwich combo.
For some reason I tend to like salads I didn’t prepare at home a lot better- they always taste so much better at restaurants or at salad bars. But really, there are only three secrets to having a good salad at home:
– Fresh greens
– A good dressing
– Not skipping the toppings
My answer to having a good salad at home:
Pomegranate Pear Salad
Fresh mixed baby greens, sliced pear, grilled red onion, toasted walnuts, black pepper, and pomegranate dressing. Marzetti sent me a coupon to try one of their new Simply Dressed salad dressings and I was instantly drawn to the pomegranate dressing.
It was a good choice- the dressing is slightly sweet, yet tangy, and packed with true pomegranate flavor. The thick texture was perfect for coating the salad greens without all dripping to the bottom of the plate. It’s just what my salad needed to live up to my high standards.
I’ve never been a salad-as-a-whole-meal girl, so as I was scrounging around looking for something to go with my salad, I couldn’t help but keep coming back to the pear. Pear and salad…pear and…cheese!
I already had the pear ready and the onion sliced. A pear grilled cheese sandwich sounded like the perfect complement. I used vegan cheese, but of course any cheese would work. Even a crumble or two of blue cheese would make this sandwich divine. Spread with a little Dijon mustard, Follow Your Heart Monterey Jack and a swipe of vegan cream cheese, a few slices of pear, and a sprinkling of grilled red onions, this grilled cheese pairs perfectly with the pomegranate pear salad.
Layer sliced pears on top of greens. Top with red onion, walnuts, and black pepper.
What’s your favorite salad topping?
I was one of the bloggers selected by T. Marzetti Company and Clever Girls Collective to host a Marzetti Simply Dressed review. They provided me with product to test myself and compensation for my time. However, my opinions are entirely my own.
Fruit is fabulous. It’s nature’s dessert- it’s sweet, it’s succulent, it’s juicy, and the flavors are bold, exciting, and unique. Yet for some reason I shy away from some of the most basic varieties.
Like pears. I like pears- out of a can. I walk by the pile of pears in the grocery store bins, hesitate for a minute, then keep walking. There are less than half the choices of kinds of pears than there are apples, yet I continually pass them by, not knowing what type of pear would be good to bite into.
I finally figured enough was enough. I’d grab a couple pears, taste them, and then I’d forever know if I was an Anjou or a Bosc or a Bartlett fan.
But the night I brought my selection of pears home was the one chilly night we’ve had so far, and because I had 3,495 other things to do that night, I thought it’d be a great time to experiment with poached pears.
Not a bad decision- a poached pear is like a baked apple- a delicious fruit made even better served warm and juicy.
1 cup cranberry pomegranate juice {or any no sugar added variety}
1/2 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
Instructions
Peel pears and core from the bottom.
Place in deep pan with juice and spices.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Simmer about 30 minutes, or until pears can easily be pierced with a knife.
Optional: After removing pears from pan, continue simmer juice until it reduces by half into a syrup. If you want, toss in some dried cranberries to plump up with juice.
So the verdict in the battle of the Bosc vs the Anjou. The Bosc was the clear winner from the first bites; the husband and I agreed. I’m a save-the-best-for last person, so I ate the Anjou pear first. When I returned to the Bosc pear, I decided the Anjou was the winner. The husband stuck to his guns with the Bosc.
So the moral of the story is, don’t be scared of pears. They just taste good.
I'm Heather, a sports dietitian specializing in food sensitivities {and a implementation strategist for fellow health & nutrition professionals}.
5+ years ago the docs told me I'd never run again due to a chronic pain disorder. I'm here to prove them wrong.
