Steamed Pears with Ginger Marmalade Glaze

An elegant and quick dessert fit for any meal. Served chilled, garnished with sprigs of mint. Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes

1/2 cup organic sweet orange marmalade
1-1/2 teaspoons minced ginger root
4 tablespoons orange juice
6 semi-ripe Barlett pears

1. In a small bowl, combined the marmalade, ginger and 2 tablespoons orange juice.
2. Peel the pears, leaving their stems intact. Brush the fruit with the remaining orange juice. Slice the top off each pear about 1/2 inch below the base of the stem, producing a “cap”; set caps aside. If the pears do not stand upright, slice a thin layer off the bottom of the fruit. Then with a paring knife, core the pears, leaving the blossom ends intact. Spoon a small amount of the marmalade mixture into each pear, then return the caps.
3. Arrange the pears on a heatproof plate and drizzle the remaining marmalade mixture over the fruit. Place the plate in the top of a steamer over rapidly boiling water. Cover and steam until the pears are just tender, 8 to 15 minutes, depending on the pears’ ripeness.
4. Cool, then chill, covered. Spoon the glaze over the pears before serving.

PER SERVING: 172 cal, 3% fat cal, 0.7g fat, 0mg chol, 1g protein, 45g carb