Because this dessert contains red wine, save it for a special occasion rather than an everyday dessert.  This recipe is taken from my cookbook ‘Healthy eating for the menopause’.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus 2 hours’ soaking

Cooking: about 20 minutes

 

2 tablespoons of sultanas

1 tablespoon of cider vinegar

1 lemon

4 large firm pears

300ml/0.5 pint red wine

3 tablespoons honey

1 cinnamon stick

1 level tablespoon black peppercorns

Yogurt, to serve

 

At least two hours before you intend to cook the pears, put the sultanas in a small bowl and pour over the vinegar and the juice of half the lemon. Toss to mix well. 

 

Peel the pears and halve them carefully lengthwise, leaving the stalks attached to one half. Scoop out the cores.

 

Pour the red wine into a saucepan just big enough to hold the pear halves snugly. Heat gently and stir in the honey, cinnamon, peppercorns and 3 tablespoons of the remaining lemon juice. 

 

When the honey has dissolved, put the pears in the liquid and spoon some over their tops. Cover and poach at the gentlest possible simmer for 15-20 minutes turning the pears from time to time and spooning liquid over them, until the pears are translucent and tender but still quite firm. 

 

Remove the pears to a serving dish and strain the liquid. When the pears are cool enough to handle, stuff the cavities of four of the pear halves with a mounded spoonful of the macerated sultanas. Reassemble with the other matching pear half and wrap tightly in greaseproof paper.  Put the pear packages and liquid to chill in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours.

 

To serve, unwrap the packages and spoon over some of the reserving poaching liquid. Serve with some plain yoghurt flavoured with a couple of spoonfuls of the poaching liquid. 

 

Ingredients

750g sweet potatoes, organic where possible, peeled

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 eggs, beaten

100g organic cheese (optional) or carrots instead.

Method

Grate the sweet potatoes, coarsely and put in tea towel or paper towel to absorb any excess moisture.  Put the sweet potato in a mixing bowl.  Fry the onion and garlic with half the olive oil in a pan until the onion is soft and golden.  Add the onion to the sweet potatoes in the bowl.  Add the grated egg and half the cheese.  If you would rather not use cheese then cook some carrots in boiling water until almost soft, allow to cool and then grate the carrots and add to the potato mix.  Mix thoroughly.

 

Divide the mixture into four cakes and place on a well oiled baking tray and drizzle with the remaining olive oil.  Cook in a medium pre-heated oven for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. 

Ingredients

¼ pint (150ml) olive oil

3 large onions, sliced

1 large aubergine diced

8oz (225g) French beans, sliced

2 different coloured pepper, sliced

Half a cauliflower, cut into florets

4oz shitake mushrooms

4 large tomatoes, cut into quarters

8oz cooked brown or green lentils

7oz (200g) frozen sweetcorn

2 tbsp garam masala

2 pts (1.2 litres) liquid (vegetable stock)

2 bay leaves

Method

Heat the oil gently in a large pan, cook the onions until soft.  Add in the aubergine and also cook until soft. Add the garam masala and stir well, then add the liquid and heat.  Then add all the other ingredients except the lentils and sweetcorn and cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the lentils and sweetcorn and simmer for another five minutes.  If you want to add a salty taste, then mix some miso paste with a little water and add at the final stages of cooking so that the miso does not boil.