Roaster Pears: A Tasty Dish to Benefit the Lungs
Pears benefit the Lung in Chinese medicine by adding moisture. As Autumn is consider the Metal season, known for being drying, we want to add moisture through the nourishment we take in. Pears are said to have a sour & sweet flavor which tonifies (builds & supports) yin through the lung, stomach and spleen. Pears counteract heat and resolve phlegm. Although the roasting action is drying, this is offset by pear’s temperature in TCM which is considered cool.
Ingredients:
• 7 Bosc pears
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 3 oz local honey
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions:
Preheat your standard oven to 375* or convection oven to 350*. Start your prep (slicing and measuring) while you’re waiting for the oven to heat up.
• Lay out a large baking sheet and line with parchment paper.
• Slice the pears in half, lengthwise, lay on baking tray, insides up.
• Using a grapefruit cutter or melon baller, remove the seeds making a circle around the area.
• If you want, remove the thickened stem running the center, in addition to the bottom “star” of the pear.
• Put cinnamon and cardamom in strainer
• Hover the strainer 6” above the fruit, tap it and allow for it cover the fruit, extra spices around the sides is ok.
• Drizzle honey on top, try and get every half of pear as evenly as possible.
• Sprinkle salt over the pears, at a height of about 6”
• Turn pears over, skin side up and place in preheated oven. Set a timer for 60 minutes.
• NB: Turning the pears skin side up before roasting allows more of the juices generated to be contained within the pear. This is also why I like leaving the skins on – in addition to the nutritional benefits
• Remove pan from oven • and let rest for 10 minutes • (if you can resist).
Additional TCM Details:
• Cinnamon is hot in temperature with a pungent and sweet flavor. It travels via the Kidney, Liver, Spleen, Heart and Urinary Bladder. It tonifies Yang and Qi. It counteracts cold, damp, promotes qi circulation and promotes blood circulation.
• Cardamom is warm in temperature, with a pungent, bitter and sweet flavor via the Stomach, Spleen, Lung and Large Intestine. It counteracts damp, resolves phlegm, promotes qi circulation and counteracts cold
• Honey is neutral in temperature with a sweet flavor. It benefits the Lung, Large Intestine and Spleen, tonifying Yin and Qi. It promotes blood circulation and removes toxins.
• Sea salt is cold in temperature and salty in flavor. It travels via the Spleen, Kidney, Large Intestine, Small Intestine and Stomach. It regulates the heat and removes toxins.
