Poached Pears in Red Wine

Eating fruits and vegetables while they are in season is a great way to ensure you are eating fresh produce. Try to eat an assortment of colors including yellow, red, green, orange, and purple fruits and vegetables. Remember to try to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day!

The fall season brings an abundance of pears to produce aisles. The following recipe combines pears with red wine. Studies have shown that a natural chemical called resveratrol, which is found in the skins of red grapes and transfers to red wine, may slow down the inflammatory process involved in the lung disease COPD.

Poached Pears in Red Wine
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 4 pears – peeled and halved lengthwise
• 1 cup red wine
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 pinch allspice

Directions:

1. In a shallow, Teflon coated frying pan (not cast iron or aluminum), large enough for 4 pears and that has a cover, heat the wine, sugar and allspice. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves.

2. With a teaspoon, scoop and discard the seeds out of the peeled, halved pears.

3. Add the pears to the warm wine in the pan. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Turn pears over and simmer 15 minutes more, until tender.

5. Keeping the wine in the pan, remove only the pears and place on pretty individual dessert plates. Continue to cook wine, uncovered, until a syrup consistency develops. Spoon wine syrup over pears.

Nutritional Information:

• 189 Calories
• 1 gm Fat
• 1 gm Protein
• 39 gm Carbohydrate
• 4 gm Dietary Fiber
• 38 mg Sodium