Pear/8 recipes

Use the slow-cooker and liquid smoke instead of grilling and wood chips. The result is outstanding, and the pork is packed with flavor.

Quinoa is getting more and more popular, it has a very unique and delicious taste, also it is high in fibre and protein. In this recipe, we use fresh pears, arugula, lightly toasted walnuts and dried fruits, mixing in some Jack cheese. It can be served as a side dish, but it also can be a delicious and nutritious main dish!

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It's the season of Swiss chard and kale. We got lots of these fresh leafy greens from our CSA farm, and I was trying to come out an idea to use them up, surfing the internet, found a recipe in New York Times, it's a chard and feta phyllo tart. Definitely got the inspiration, I used both chard and kale, instead of feta, I used cheddar; and I sauteed some fresh mushrooms and added some toasted pine nuts, which worked very well. Also, I used a pie plate instead of a tart pan, and it was a great success, absolutely flavorful and delicious. The phyllo crust came out flaky and crispy. Have definitely become one of my signature recipes :)

Make your pasta dishes seem authentic with this spaghetti sauce made of Italian sausage, tomatoes and a variety of spices.

These cherry cream cheese bars were divine. The cream cheese added the rich creaminess; I made my own cherry pie filling, which was packed with cherry flavour and not super sweet, also did a few changes to make these bars healthier (see the linked recipe below) but still decadent.

Cake doesn't have to be always packed with calories, fat and sugar. You only need a few simple twists to make a much healthier cake that still tastes delicious.

This prosciutto, fontina and sun-dried tomato tart was brilliant. The combination of these three ingredients and the buttery-crispy puff pastry was absolutely delicious!

These sweet and slightly sour pickled pears are soft and melt in your mouth. Serve it with grilled meat, sausages or hot dogs. A delicious and refreshing side dish.

This is the best lassagna I have ever tried, basil-pesto definitely gave the whole lasagna tons of tasty flavor, also used low-fat milk and cheese, reduced the amount of fat, but the sauce was still creamy, asparagus was tender-crispy between the layered creamy stuffed noodles.

Something about bacon goes so well with spinach. Using a hot bacon dressing wilts the spinach just the perfect amount, not rubbery and not too mushy and packed with flavor.

Using seasonal parsnips and pears, adding skim-milk gives the soup more creamy flavor, drizzle concentrated balsamic vinegar on top. It is a fabulous dish.

This savory tart definitely impressed me. The puff pastry was so buttery and crispy after baking, which went deliciously well with creamy goat cheese, lemon zest and fresh rosemary leaves. All the flavors were just perfectly balanced, YUM!