Peras al Vino Tinto -- Pears in Red Wine

As a New Year's resolution I have decided to continue with my blog among other things.  The first blog I would like to present to you is a simple, healthier dessert recipe you could make for dinner tonight.  I concocted this gourmet dessert in October after a rural weekend getaway in a beautiful area of northwest Spain: Sanabria.

Sanabria is a wooded, mountainous region in the province of Zamora.  Its primary village is Puebla de Sanabria, a small picturesque village perched on a hill and presided by a castle.   12 km from the village you find El Lago de Sanabria, the largest natural lake in Spain at 368.5 hectares (910.58 acres).  In its surroundings you can visit many small villages with an abundance of local produce.  

It was in one of these small villages where I bought local chorizo, wine and pears.  Having returned with so many great products I decided to make good use of them and experiment with a dish I had tried once, but never cooked: pears in red wine. 

According to my friends, peras al vino (Spanish for "pears in wine") is a typical dish in rural Spain.  It is easy to make and much healthier than other dessert options.  The USDA states that one medium pear contains more than 20% of the fiber recommended for a healthy diet.  One pear has only 100 calories and has a significant amount of Vitamin C.  And as far as red wine goes, many of us have heard that it is good for us in moderation.  The Mayo Clinic says that this may be true due to its high content of antioxidants which could protect the linings of the blood vessels in our hearts.  Red wine also contains a substance called resveratrol that is key in reducing bad cholesterol and preventing blood clots.  If we take these figures into account and eat and drink in moderation, this dessert is perfect for us to prepare and eat every now and again.  I hope you enjoy it!

Equipment
Chopping board
Knife
Sauce Pan

Ingredients
6 medium size pears

6 tablespoons of sugar

700 ml of red wine

Cinnamon

Orange peel


Instructions
1. Cut the bottoms off of the pears to make them sit level in a pot.  Peel them leaving the stem at the top.

2. Peel an orange and save the peel.







3. Add pears, sugar, orange peel, cinnamon, and red wine all to a small pot and cook for 25 minutes on medium heat.

4. Once the pears are cooked, remove them along with the orange peels.  Turn the heat up to high and create a syrup with the remaining wine and sugar.  It will only take around 5 minutes. Do not make the same mistake I did and leave the stove for a couple minutes.  It turned into a sticky, burnt wine smelling mess!