The fun didn’t end when we crossed the finish line of the Color Run on Sunday. No, after a much needed shower to de-colour and warm up – we headed straight out to a post-run / birthday party – where the cocktails were flowing. Knowing that I would have little time to prepare a dish to contribute, I went in search of something savoury that wasn’t too difficult, and could be prepared relatively quickly. And I’m pleased to report that this goats cheese, prosciutto and pear “bruschetta” worked just beautifully. 
I bought some thinly sliced Italian bread, that I drizzled with oil and then toasted in the oven for 3 or 4 minutes. Topped with goats cheese (to which I had added a splash of milk to aid with spreading), sliced pear, prosciutto and a few sprigs of fresh oregano. 
Then right before serving, I added a little drizzle of caramelised onion balsamic vinegar, and our party platter was complete! 
Definitely a “bring a plate” that I will be making again! What about you? Have a favourite bruschetta topping?
Maple glazed pork and pear salad
With Spring in the air, I am slowly turning away from the hearty stews and casseroles that kept my belly warm all Winter. Instead, I am craving crunchy salads – with the added bonus being that they are healthy and so quick to throw together. This particular salad was inspired by a recipe in a cooking magazine that I picked up. 
Maple glazed pork and pear salad. 
The ‘glaze’ was simple – maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and dried chilli. 
Some of which was brushed over pear slices, grilled until soft. 
The pork fillets were grilled, and then roasted with the remaining glaze. Then it was time to build the salad! Mixed lettuce and the pears… 
Topped with slices of the roasted pork. 
Drizzled with the pan juices… 
And dinner was served. 
Whilst I am not one who regularly uses fruit in my salads, this was a rather tasty dinner indeed. 
The pork was tender, and the pears were sweet and tasty. But when there is also maple syrup and balsamic vinegar involved, well you really can’t go wrong can you?! 
All cooked in under 30 minutes! A win for sure. What about you? Do you ‘do’ fruit in salads?
Pear and almond friands (gluten free)
Happy Monday lovely people! My weekend disappeared, as it is known to do, in the blink of an eye. I did, however, find time to do my favourite weekend things. Working out, market meandering, lazy brunches, sports watching, reading, coffee drinking….you get the drift. 
And then there was the baking. Oh how I love the baking. 
Particularly when you find out some family are dropping in for a cuppa on Sunday afternoon. Because why just have a cuppa, when you can have a cuppa and a freshly baked friand lol. Using my pineapple and coconut friands recipe as a base, I subbed fresh pear for the pineapple, flaked almonds in place of the flaked coconut and left out the coconut flour all together (replacing it with GF flour). 
I also halved the recipe, to make 6 instead of 12, with no dramas. 
The result? 
Incredibly light, fluffy…. 
And moist freshly baked friands. 
The pear added a nice subtle flavour, while the flaked almonds added a great crunch. 
Friands really are turning into my ‘go to’ sweet treat. 
Not only can they be made using only 1 bowl and a whisk, they also go from thought to table in just over 20 minutes! 
Oh and did I mention they taste pretty good too 😉 What about you? Any ideas what my next friand flavour should be?