Protein, protein, protein. I get it… well, as a WLS patient I’m supposed to get it. But ya know, a dude can’t live by protein alone. And for you single dudes… if you invite a dudette over for dinner some time, this one is going to impress. Serve it as a side dish, or a dessert… depending on how things are looking.
A small dallop of sugar-free Cool Whip or some low-fat whipped cream probably would have dressed this up even more, but it was just me, so was no need to impress.
I used a red pear, but use whichever kind floats your boat… core it and cut in half (or cut in half, then core each half… we’re flexible on this part) and brush a bit of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil for those who haven’t seen Rachel Ray on the Food Network) and place cut side down on a HOT grill.
If you’re doing this as a side dish, put them on while cooking the meat and other stuff. Otherwise, keep the coals/grill warm while eating and pop these on as you clear the dishes. Cook about 5-6 minutes on the cut side and close the grill… no peeking, no checking.. or you won’t get the nice grill marks. Then flip over and cook another 4 minutes or so. You can test with a knife to see how done they are.
For folks with normal stomachs, you could plan on a half-pear per person, and just serve a half in a bowl with the sauce… but for us freaks, slice the pears and fan 4-6 sices on a small plate and drizzle the sauce over them.
Oh yea, the sauce… easy.
For each pear you need 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar. Splurge a bit when buying this… you get what you pay for. You should be able to do this while the pears themselves are cooking. Put this in a small saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat until it just comes to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. You want the vinegar to reduce by about half (that means you’re boiling out the water to make the vinegar thicker). This really concentrates the flavor of the vinegar.
It’ll happen quick if you don’t watch it. Then using a wooden spoon stir in 1 Tablespoon of Hershey’s Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup (or your favorite brand). I think the Hershey’s is a bit on the bitter side, so I added 1 teaspoon of Splenda to the mix as well. Stir it all up and keep on low heat until you’re ready to serve. If you don’t keep it warm it’ll get too thick, and won’t drizzle at all for ya.
And that’s it… and try the sauce on other grilled fruits, like pineapple or some mango maybe…?
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