Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese, Cranberry and Walnut Stuffing

The players for the stuffing

Pears - ripe but still firm

Fresh lemon juice

chopped walnuts

dried cranberries

Stilton blue cheese

Rough chop the walnuts

Crumble the blue cheese

Loosely combine all three

 Peel the pears

Using a melon baller, scoop out the core.

Turn the pear over and cut a thin slice off of the rounded bottom so they will sit flat and straight in the dish.

Remember, the pears will oxidize and turn brown quickly, so dip all the cut and scooped surfaces into the fresh lemon juice to prevent this.

Fill the cavity of the pears with the stuffing.

Arrange in an oven-proof dish.

Stir to combine:

apple cider

brown sugar

port wine

Pour the vinaigrette over the pears.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes. (* see food notes below.)

Let them sit out a cool for a while.. can be still somewhat warm.

(Optional) Add the juices from the bottom of the casserole dish to a small saucepan and boil for a while to reduce and thicken the juices.  (* see food notes below.)

Let this cool.

Arrange the pears over a bed of arugula.

Dress the salad with the remaining reduced vinaigrette.

Add Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

The players for the stuffing

Pears - ripe but still firm

Fresh lemon juice

chopped walnuts

dried cranberries

Stilton blue chees

Rough chop the walnuts

Crumble the blue cheese

Loosely combine all three

 Peel the pears

Using a melon baller, scoop out the core.

Turn the pear over and cut a thin slice off of the rounded bottom so they will sit flat and straight in the dish.

Remember, the pears will oxidize and turn brown quickly, so dip all the cut and scooped surfaces into the fresh lemon juice to prevent this.

Fill the cavity of the pears with the stuffing.

Arrange in an oven-proof dish.

Stir to combine:

apple cider

brown sugar

port wine

Pour the vinaigrette over the pears.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes. (* see food notes below.)

Let them sit out a cool for a while.. can be still somewhat warm.

(Optional) Add the juices from the bottom of the casserole dish to a small saucepan and boil for a while to reduce and thicken the juices.  (* see food notes below.)

Let this cool.

Arrange the pears over a bed of arugula.

Dress the salad with the remaining reduced vinaigrette.

Add Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.