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Contemporary Cuisine
Simple as Spring

Cranberry Pear Salad With Curried Hazelnuts, Hazelnut Cranberry Baklava With Pear Filling and Easy Couscous Wrap

(Family Features) - With arrival of spring, make a move toward lighter, healthier cuisine. Fresh, contemporary fare complements the enticing blend of pears, cranberries and hazelnuts. Whether searching for a delightful dessert to tempt even the most calorie conscious or an innovative new wrap, the following recipes provide a full array of menu choices for light and delicious springtime meals.

For more information or to access additional recipes, please visit www.usapears.com, www.uscranberries.com and www.hazelnutcouncil.org.

Cranberry Pear Salad With Curried Hazelnuts

Dressing
8 ounces plain, fat-free yogurt
1 cup peeled, seeded and chopped cucumber
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon chopped chives
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

Hazelnuts
1 3/4 cups toasted, coarsely chopped hazelnuts
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons honey
3/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons butter

Salad
2 cups spinach leaves, washed
1 1/2 cups spring greens, washed and torn
1 1/3 cups sweetened dried cranberries
1 Anjou pear, cored and cubed
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Process dressing ingredients in food processor or blender until smooth.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Place hazelnuts in large bowl. Pour melted butter into 9 x 9 x 2-inch pan; set aside.

Stir corn syrup, honey, curry powder, salt and cayenne pepper in small saucepan until boiling. Boil 2 minutes; do not stir. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons butter until melted.

Immediately pour over nuts. Stir until coated. Spread into prepared pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Pour onto baking sheet; cool. Break into small pieces.

Place salad ingredients in large bowl. Toss with dressing. Sprinkle with curried hazelnuts. Makes 4 servings.

Serving Nutritional Analysis: Calories 420 (33% Calories from Fat), Protein 8g, Carbohydrate 68g, Fiber 8g, Fat 17g, Sat. Fat 2.5g, Cholesterol 10mg, Sodium 310mg

Hazelnut Cranberry Baklava With Pear Filling

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 Anjou pears, peeled, cored and cubed
1/3 cup honey
2 eggs
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 1/2 cups toasted, finely chopped hazelnuts
1 1/3 cups sweetened dried cranberries, chopped
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
8 ounces (1/2 package) phyllo pastry, defrosted
1/2 cup melted butter

Whip cream cheese and pears until smooth. Add honey, eggs and lemon peel; beat until blended. Set aside. Mix hazelnuts, cranberries, sugar, cinnamon and cloves; set aside.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Cut phyllo in half to 13 x 9-inch rectangle; cover with damp cloth. Layer 10 sheets on bottom of buttered 9 x 13 x 2-inch pan, brushing each layer with butter.

Pour half cream cheese mixture over phyllo and sprinkle with 1 1/4 cups spice mixture. Place 7 sheets phyllo over spice mixture; brushing each layer with butter; repeat. Sprinkle remaining spice mixture over buttered top.

Bake 45 to 60 minutes until golden brown and center is set. Cool and refrigerate. Makes 24 bars.

Serving Nutritional Analysis: Calories 250 (55% Calories from Fat), Protein 4g, Carbohydrate 25g, Fiber 2g, Fat 16g, Sat. Fat 7g, Cholesterol 45mg, Sodium 150mg

Easy Couscous Wrap

Sauce
1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
4 drops Tabasco Sauce

Couscous
1 (12-ounce) package couscous
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup toasted, chopped hazelnuts

Wrap
1 Anjou pear, peeled, cored and diced
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 cup spinach leaves, washed
Salt and pepper to taste

Process sauce ingredients in food processor or blender until smooth; set aside. Prepare couscous as directed on package for 2 servings, adding cranberries. Stir in hazelnuts after cooking; set aside. Mix pear, chicken, oil, basil and oregano; set aside.

Spread 3 tablespoons sauce over each tortilla to 1/2-inch of edge. Layer with 1/2 cup couscous, 1/4 cup spinach and 1/2 cup pear mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.

Fold tortilla bottom and top edges over filling. Fold one side to center. Fold last side overlapping center. Roll until tight. Makes 4 servings.

Serving Nutritional Analysis: Calories 660 (35% Calories from Fat), Protein 22g, Carbohydrate 87g, Fiber 8g, Fat 26g, Sat. Fat 4g, Cholesterol 20mg, Sodium 980mg

Picking the Perfect Pear

Sweet, juicy and crisp, pears are a refreshingly wholesome snack and wonderful component in contemporary cuisine. Available in many varieties, there is a pear for every season. For springtime fare, look for juicy green Anjous, whose sweet, mellow flavor is a perfect accompaniment to fresh salads. Also excellent for salads and in season are Bosc, whose highly aromatic flavor and dense flesh make them ideal for baking and cooking. Select the perfect pear by applying gentle pressure at the base of the stem. If it yields slightly, the pear is ripe. Not ripe? Put pears in a paper bag, fold down the top and leave for three to four days.

Berry Good and Healthy, Too

Spring is an ideal time to revisit New Year's resolutions or start shaping up for summer, but a low-fat/low-carb diet doesn't necessarily imply bland, boring food. Cranberries are low in fat and carbohydrates, and fresh cranberries, unsweetened dried cranberries and light cranberry juice can make a delicious and nutritious meal or snack.

A cup of raw fresh cranberries yields approximately 11 grams of carbohydrates, an acceptable amount for the low-carb maintenance phase. Cranberries offer many other health benefits, including antioxidant capabilities, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers, and antiadhesion properties that can help prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs).

An Everyday Indulgence

Although spring menus call for lighter fare, healthy cuisine can still be indulgent and flavorful. Hazelnuts - with their exotic appeal, unique flavor and crunchy texture - transform any dish from ordinary to extraordinary. The sweet, nutty flavor and crunchy texture of hazelnuts complement many foods, including baked goods, confections, salads and sauces.

Also, nutrition research shows that the addition of 1 1/2 ounces of hazelnuts in the daily diet may help prevent heart disease. Hazelnuts provide a high-quality source of protein, fiber, vitamin E and important antioxidants, and are naturally low in carbohydrates, with less than 5 carbohydrates per 1 ounce serving.

SOURCE: Cranberry Marketing Committee
The Hazelnut Council
Pear Bureau Northwest