The Last Supper – Spiced Poached Pears

Happy February Everyone – I am sure most of you are revelling at the sight of February in your calendar diaries? Euphoric to see the back of a dry January, delirious from too many jungle juices and ready to indulge and picnic your way through Pancake Tuesday, Valentines Day and no doubt there will be some sort of Leap Year Food Holiday for the 29th of February? You lucky things!

I have had a different sort of January, carb loading for an imaginary marathon that I amn’t signed up to. I have been enjoying ‘double weekend’ feasts and plenty of wine. Since I have started working Saturdays and Sundays I can’t abandon the real weekend. When I arrive home on Friday and Saturday night, I don’t deny myself the glass of vino. And then when Monday and Tuesday come around (my new weekend), I am in treat mode, again. I now have a gross understanding of the term ‘baker’s dozen’ when I am baking the morning scones in work. It means no belt required. Between that and double checking that the pulled pork is seasoned correctly, I am beginning to feel the paunch! Oh that word! I seem to have forgotten I have to squeeze into a wedding dress in a matter of weeks. And, to make matters worse, the OH is training for 100km cycles and setting the alarm for 6.30am gym sessions. ‘I thought we were in this together!?’

So for me, a healthy February is much needed, and wanted. I am setting myself the Healthy February Challenge. Less sugar, more vegetables, treats on Sundays. (or in my case, Mondays). And no mini scones or cakes just because there was a tiny bit of dough leftover that had to be used! (#iamnotadustbin)

Alas, I start today, Tuesday the 2nd of February, as last night the Priest who is marrying us came over for dinner and I could hardly offer him chicken soup for the soul. Instead we dined on buttermilk chicken with a parmesan crust on a bed of celeriac slaw (courtesy of Neven Maguire’s book ‘The Nation’s Favourite Food Fast’), with a side of tender-stem broccoli and crispy baked potatoes. This was followed by delicious spiced poached pears dipped in dark chocolate sauce, served with  a quenelle of vanilla ice-cream. Mmmmmm. Fancy. Click here* for the dessert recipe and you can spoil yourself this February. For me, I call it The Last Supper. Until next Monday of course!

Hope you enjoy!

*side note on the poached pears recipe– I found this was WAY too much sugar so used just 300g and it turned out just fine although not that sticky/syrupy. Also, You will find you will have lots of chocolate sauce leftover so you could either half the qualities or just keep it for drizzling over your pancakes next week! I am going to freeze mine. Sad face.