Walnut and Pear Pizza: ChefMD®

Aired on Lifetime Television
Sunday, February 5 and March 19, 2006

Show 305

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The omega-3 fatty acids in walnuts help prevent erratic heart rhythms, making walnuts medicine for the heart! They have so much omega-3 and are so healthy that you should eat them every day. Just six walnuts a day have enough fat to make carbs last longer and they improve your good cholesterol to total cholesterol. Walnuts are meaty, crunchy, toasty, tasty, and filling - use walnuts to garnish salads, cereal, veggies, and yogurt. Try this delicious ChefMD®-approved recipe for walnut and pear pizza with sage, blue cheese, and caramelized onions, drizzled with olive oil. The fountain of youth starts in the kitchen!

Pear, Sage and Walnut Pizza, with Bleu Cheese (10 pieces)

Ingredients

6 fresh sage leaves, slivered
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, with
2 large yellow onions, diced medium
1 cup walnut pieces, toasted and cooled
4 large pears, bosc or d'anjou preferred
4 tablespoons very good quality balsamic vinegar
Two 12 inch pizza shells, frozen or room temperature, Boboli thin crust preferred (check for trans fat absence)
4 ounces very good quality bleu cheese *
One-half teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

Preparation:

Immerse the sage leaves in the olive oil. To a very hot sauce pan add the olive oil, reserving the sage, and then the onions: cook until golden, about 10 minutes. Toast the walnuts in a 350 degree oven for 12 minutes.  Remove when they start to darken, and let cool.  Stem the fruit and slice lengthwise, very thin--about one-quarter inch thick. Paint each shell with balsamic vinegar. Layer with the onions and then fruit, and sprinkle with nutmeg.  Crumble cheese and walnuts on top of each shell, and decorate with sage. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes, and remove. Allow to cool on a perforated pan for five minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

Nutritional Analysis:

Calories: 302
Calories from fat: 132
Total fat: 14.7 g
Saturated fat: 3.8 g
Cholesterol: 8 mg
Sodium : 378 mg
Total carbohydrates: 34.6 g
Dietary fiber: 3.7 g
Protein: 7.9 g