Creamy pear dressing

Timaree Hagenburger
The Nutrition Professor
Cosumnes River College, Sacramento
www.thenutritionprofessor.com

You can make this delicious oil-free, vinegar-free salad dressing in the blender in less than 2 minutes! "While I love vinegar, I have met people who do not use it in their cooking," says dietitian Timaree Hagenburger. "This could be the perfect dressing for them."

Ingredients

1 ripe pear, cored (leave skin on; see tip)
2 tbsp. lightly roasted nuts or seeds (see tip)
1 tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 tsp. lime zest (see tip)
1 tbsp. lime juice
Splash of soy sauce or your favorite curry powder or fresh/dried herb (see tip)

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth. If you do not have a high-powered blender, you may want to soak the nuts/seeds for a few hours before making this dressing.

The Nutrition Professor's Prep Smart, Cook Smart Tips:

Don't peel your pears! So much of the amazing health-promoting nutrients in pears are found in and just under the skin, so simply core the pears and you are ready to go.
You can experiment with different nuts and seeds. I used pine nuts, and the flavor and texture of the dressing was amazing. I have also used walnuts with similar results, and will try cashews and sunflower seeds next.
Always zest your citrus whole, with a microplane, before cutting into quarters to juice.
The addition of curry power gives this dressing zip! If you are not a fan of curry, but have a favorite herb, such as tarragon, dill, basil or oregano, make this recipe your own and give one of those a try!