Cabbage Pear Slaw
By Carmen Scott, RHN
For a fruit toted as “Gift of the gods” by famous Odyssey author Homer, pears do not get the attention that they deserve! This fibre-rich fruit contains a variety of phenolic phytonutrients that provide anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and antioxidant benefits. Another little known tidbit on pears is that they are one of the least allergenic fruits, and for this reason they are one of baby’s first foods. To get the most nutrients out of your juicy pear, make sure to buy organic and to not peel. In the skin you will find the bulk of the fruit’s fibre, and just underneath the skin is the highest concentration of vitamins and minerals. Go pesticide free, and wash the fruit well before you consume and you will get the biggest nutritional punch from this god-worthy fruit. Both recipes below were created with unpeeled pears with great results!
Cabbage Pear Slaw
- ½ head cabbage, thinly sliced
- 4 carrots, grated
- 1 small head broccoli florets, cut into small bite sized pieces
- 1 organic pear, cored and chopped
- Handful fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds
- ½ cup sesame oil
- ½ cup honey (or brown rice syrup if strict vegan)
- ½ cup tamari
- 3 tbsp hemp hearts to sprinkle as topping
Combine cabbage, carrots, broccoli, pear, cilantro and sesame seeds in large bowl. In separate bowl, whisk sesame oil, honey or brown rice syrup and tamari. Pour dressing over top of salad and mix well. Let sit for one hour before serving. Sprinkle hemp hearts over salad and enjoy!
Almond Pear Scones
Make your own crackers in just minutes. This recipe only takes about five minutes to prepare.
- 1 3/4 cup spelt flour
- ½ cup organic coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup soft coconut oil, whipped
- 1 firm organic pear, cored and chopped.
- Topping: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp cane sugar, ¼ cup sliced almonds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, combine spelt flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and shredded coconut. In a separate bowl, combine coconut milk and vanilla. Stir in whipped coconut oil. (Whipped coconut oil: whip with a beater to ensure no chunks). Add coconut milk mixture into flour mixture and mix well. Fold in pear chunks carefully, trying not to crush pear pieces. Form dough into a ball and turn out onto a floured surface.
Press down evenly on dough until you have a one-inch thick circle. Sprinkle evenly with topping mixture of cinnamon, coconut sugar and almonds and gently push down into dough so it stays put. Cut into four large pieces and place on greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Carmen Scott is a registered holistic nutritionist in British Columbia.
