Spiced Pears
Serves 6

6 large pears
1 1/2 cups unsweetened pear juice or nectar
1/4 cup raw honey
1/2 teaspoon each ground ginger, cardamom, cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons ghee
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup slivered almonds

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and butter an 11-by-18-inch baking dish.
2. Cut each pear lengthwise into quarters, remove the core, and place skin side up in baking dish.
3. In a separate bowl, mix juice, honey, and spices. Pour mixture over pears, and dot with ghee. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
4. Remove foil, and bake for 5 to 10 minutes until pears are soft. Transfer pears to serving platter, and pour reserved liquid into a saucepan.
5. Add vanilla, and heat mixture over high heat until syrupy, about 10 minutes.
6. While syrup is reducing, toast almonds.
7. Pour syrup over pears, and top with almonds.

nutrition info per serving: 262 calories; 5 g fat; 2 g saturated fat; 4 mg cholesterol; 2 g protein; 57 g carbohydrates; 8 g fiber; 7 mg sodium